Hoverfly with extremely long ovipositor (1 Viewer)

R

Rob_D

Well-known member

• Sep 13, 2012

• #1

Can anyone provide any information about this hoverfly? I found in my bedroom here in Bucaramanga, Colombia (about 1000m ASL).

I assume the long thing on it's abdomen is an ovipositor, but I've never seen anything so large compared to body size. Why would it need something so long?

 

Attachments

• 
  wasp long ovi.jpg

  110.2 KB · Views: 97

chris butterworth

aka The Person Named Above

• Sep 13, 2012

• #2

It seems a weird place for an ovipositor, coming out of the front of the abdomen, but there are some really weird things in the world of invertebrates. I'm wondering if it is a fungus?

Chris

 

Ficedula

velico ergo sum

• Sep 13, 2012

• #3

not a hoverfly, wing venation wrong, try diptera.info

 

O

OsageArcher

Well-known member

• Sep 13, 2012

• #4

Looks like an Ichneumon fly/wasp - try over at BugGuide.net:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740
You'll have to join to post the picture, but there's a lot of knowledgeable people who may be able to provide a good ID even though you're in beautiful Colombia and not in the US/Canada.

 

Ficedula

velico ergo sum

• Sep 13, 2012

• #5

OsageArcher said:

Looks like an Ichneumon fly/wasp - try over at BugGuide.net:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740
You'll have to join to post the picture, but there's a lot of knowledgeable people who may be able to provide a good ID even though you're in beautiful Colombia and not in the US/Canada.

Click to expand...

definitely a dipteran, you can see the haltares. Ichneumonidae would never have antennae of this form.

 

S

salticus

Well-known member

• Sep 13, 2012

• #6

The same, or similar, fly is pictured here -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgaiani/2231321773/
this one photographed in Venezuela

 

Ficedula

velico ergo sum

• Sep 13, 2012

• #7

salticus said:

The same, or similar, fly is pictured here -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgaiani/2231321773/
this one photographed in Venezuela

Click to expand...

thats it, at least its right genus Toxotrypana but name to spcies with caution

Toxotrypana includes seven currently recognized species as well as at least six undescribed species http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/diptera/tephriti/Toxotryp/Toxotryp.htm

curvicauda clearly the most well known species because of its economic importance.

 

R

Rob_D

Well-known member

• Sep 14, 2012

• #8

Wow, thanks all, that is really impressive to get down to at least the right genus in only a couple of hours.

So it's a Papaya Fruit Fly, or something very similar. That would suggest that the long ovipositor might be used to lay into Papaya, which have fairly tough skin. Some Papaya are grown not too far from here and also in a few gardens so it makes sense.

There are certainly a lot more weird and wonderful insects here in Colombia than back in the UK.