Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Unidentified Fungus-ridden Flies
Photo#90675
Fly with fungus?
Copyright © 2006 Gayle and Jeanell Strickland

Fly with fungus?
near Fluker, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, USA
May 10, 1970
Size: body length 7 mm.
This photo posted here by Smithjw reminded me of a bizarre specimen I collected way back on May 10, 1970 (The last time I checked, BugGuide would not accept dates this ancient). The specimen appeared to be stuck in a spot of resin on a small dead twig on a pine tree. I puzzled over the strange appendages that appeared to sprout from the exact positions normally occupied by wings, and near the proper position for an ovipositer. I eventually concluded that this was a fungus that had grown out of the corpse.

Images of this individual: tag all
Fly with fungus? Fly with fungus? Fly with fungus? Fly with fungus?
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland on 21 December, 2006 - 2:25pm
Last updated 10 March, 2008 - 5:12pm

Fly with fungus
This is absolutely fantastic! Almost overwhelmingly bizarre! I am so intrigued by insects, more and more everyday. But they still freak me out in a way that just makes studying them all that more intriguing. And satisfying, I must add. This is a great specimen, thus proving my point!
… Penny , 5 February, 2015 - 10:29pm login or register to post comments

Amazing...
Another place you could consider posting this is mushroomobserver.org, the people there would definitely like to see this.
… Byrain, 3 October, 2012 - 11:25am login or register to post comments

Oh poo...
looks like I was beaten to the genus level ID. >:X
Oh well! XD
… Jonas Insinga, 24 June, 2008 - 10:03pm login or register to post comments

the fungus
is in the genus Cordyceps
… Omar Fahmy, 2 June, 2007 - 9:52pm login or register to post comments

You can see a video on this k
You can see a video on this kind a fungus attacking a ant. Quit interesting : http://ebaumsworld.com/2006/12/parasite-attacks-ant.html
… Pierre-Marc Brousseau, 21 December, 2006 - 5:23pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Frass.
… Martin Hauser, 21 December, 2006 - 3:12pm login or register to post comments

Awesome
These pictures are absolutly awesome and should not be frassed!
The fungi are often very specific and they can even alter the behavior of the insects... Some tropical ground dwelling ants climb on trees where they bit into the plant and die, so that the spores can rain down and infect other ants..
The fly in this picture might be a Chloropidae, but that is just a guess..
… Martin Hauser, 21 December, 2006 - 3:01pm login or register to post comments

Great images
but why did you Frass them all? Seems like we should be able to find a place somewhere in BugGuide for at least a couple of these.
What about adding them to this page?
… john and jane balaban, 21 December, 2006 - 2:37pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks folks,
I would be delighted if a home could be found for the images! I could not figure out an acceptable category. It seemed like a bit of a stretch to place them in ID request.
Gayle
… Gayle and Jeanell Strickland, 21 December, 2006 - 3:10pm login or register to post comments

 
found the perfect spot for th
found the perfect spot for them...
… Martin Hauser, 21 December, 2006 - 3:12pm login or register to post comments

 
Amazing!
Thanks Martin, I couldn't imagine that such a category existed. BugGuide is truly remarkable.
… Gayle and Jeanell Strickland, 21 December, 2006 - 3:23pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact