Can anyone identify this insect (1 Viewer)

Hauer

Well-known member

• Feb 20, 2005

• #1

My wife photographed this alien-looking (wasp-like) insect whilst visiting Northern Province, South Africa.

I've never seen it before and am quite keen to know what it is.

Appreciate comments. Thank you.

Herman

 

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Last edited: Feb 20, 2005

harry eales

Ancient Entomologist

• Feb 21, 2005

• #2

Hauer said:

My wife photographed this alien-looking (wasp-like) insect whilst visiting Northern Province, South Africa.

I've never seen it before and am quite keen to know what it is.

Appreciate comments. Thank you.

Herman

Click to expand...

I'm not going to be much help to you Herman, I'm not even sure it is a wasp, the antennae appear to be very short indeed for any wasp I have encountered. It looks to me possibly to be a species of Diptera (possibly a Mosquito) there appears to be a sucking proboscis projecting beneath the head. I could be wrong though.

Harry

 

Gill Osborne

Well-known member

• Feb 21, 2005

• #3

Agree with Harry...looks more like a mosquito-like species.....creepy looking critter ain't it LOL

I know we have a member or two from South Africa...they may know the answer. Not sure if there are field guides for mozzies in S.Africa? Or perhaps show the photo to a curator in a natural history museum. it'll be interesting to see what species it actually is though!

Dug out the name of our SA member...Taryn. Think he's a birder though...not sure how well genned up he'll be on bugs LOL

GILL

 

Last edited: Feb 21, 2005

Hauer

Well-known member

• Feb 24, 2005

• #4

You could both be right that it is a species of mosquito. Thank you for your comments.
I'm quite intrigued as to find out more about it. Hate to think about this one extracting my blood!

Herman

 

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Last edited: Feb 24, 2005

Joern Lehmhus

Well-known member

• Feb 25, 2005

• #5

Hi Herman, it is indeed a Dipteran-and it is definitely a fly, not a mosquito-mosquitoes do have long antennae with many segments (hence the name Nematocera). Flies have short antennae with only 3 segments; so this is a Fly
(the one thing that looks like part of a long antenna is one of the legs). As the mouth parts are built like for stinging , piercing ; this could be a bloodsucking fly like those from the family Tabanidae.
But predatory flies also have such mouthparts , because they suck out their insect prey. And as many predatory flies from the family Asilidae (= Robber Flies in english, I think) are slender, fast flying animals ; I guess, this may be such an Asilid Fly.

Hope that helps,

Jörn

 

N

Numzaan

Active member

• Feb 26, 2005

• #6

Hauer said:

My wife photographed this alien-looking (wasp-like) insect whilst visiting Northern Province, South Africa.

I've never seen it before and am quite keen to know what it is.

Appreciate comments. Thank you.

Herman

Click to expand...

I think that the insect in the photograph is a Picture-winged robber fly [Lasiocnemis lugens] - It is a specialist spider hunter, snatching spiders from their webs. (Ref Field guide to insects of South Africa - published by Struik)

Regards Numzaan

 

mothman

Well-known member

• Feb 26, 2005

• #7

Numzaan said:

I think that the insect in the photograph is a Picture-winged robber fly [Lasiocnemis lugens] - It is a specialist spider hunter, snatching spiders from their webs. (Ref Field guide to insects of South Africa - published by Struik)

Regards Numzaan

Click to expand...

I dont know anything about the speces you named above but my first instinct was indeed that it looked like a bloody big version of our Uk, Robber fly(more colourfull though)

Colin.

 

Pablito

New member

• Feb 27, 2005

• #8

Dear Herman,

Have a look at this link:

http://www.africainsectimages.com/insect_full.php?id=570&type=insect

This insect looks quite similar to your insect, as far as it could be said by a picture!

 

Hauer

Well-known member

• Mar 1, 2005

• #9

Thank you all for your responses. Much appreciated. I'll settle for it being a species related to the Robber-Fly. Think I'll sleep under a mozzi-net next time I'm in Sunny ZA!

Herman