Category Archives: Diptera

Flies. About 150,000 species. Phytophagous, predaceous, or parasitic on other insects. Blood sucking species vector diseases.

Circus of the Spineless #47

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

When I started participating in blog carnivals last year, Circus of the Spineless was – for me – the pinnacle of blog carnivals.  I wanted to take my shot at hosting this venerable celebration of creepy crawlies, and even though the … Continue reading →

Posted in Amphipoda, Arachnida, Araneae, Calliphoridae, Collembola, Crustacea, Danaidae, Decopoda, Formicidae, Hesperiidae, Lepidoptera, Libellulidae, Odonata, Opiliones, Passalidae, Vespidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Me and my buds!

Posted on January 15, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Those of you who have followed this blog for any length of time have seen repeated references to my friends and colleagues, Chris Brown and Rich Thoma. Rich and I have been collecting insects together for almost 25 years now … Continue reading →

Posted in Asilidae, Cicindelidae, Coleoptera, Diptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

BitB Best of 2009

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

In my first post of 2009, I looked back at the photographs I had posted during 2008 and picked some of my personal favorites. I hesitated then to call myself a photographer (and still do), but I at least now … Continue reading →

Posted in Apidae, Arachnida, Asilidae, Cicadidae, Cicindelidae, Coleoptera, Conopidae, Diapheromeridae, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Phasmida, Reptilia, Scorpiones | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

North America’s largest robber fly

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

A few days ago, I featured Promachus hinei, one of the so-called “giant robber flies” and a common inhabitant of the glades and grasslands that dot Missouri’s largely forested landscape. That individual was seen at Long Bald Glade Natural Area … Continue reading →

Posted in Asilidae, Diptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Prey bee mine

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

Robber flies of the genus Promachus – the so-called “giant robber flies” – are among the more conspicuous and fearless predators seen in Missouri’s glades. Able to capture almost any flying insect regardless of size, this individual – seen at … Continue reading →

Posted in Apidae, Asilidae, Diptera, Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Ospriocerus abdominalis

Posted on August 18, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

My dipteran digression continues with this photograph of the robber fly, Ospriocerus abdominalis (Diptera: Asilidae).  More than just a pretty picture, this represents yet another apparently new state record that I and my colleague Chris Brown discovered a few weeks … Continue reading →

Posted in Asilidae, Diptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Overlooked, needle-tailed, thick-headed fly

Posted on August 14, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

While photographing the rare Typocerus deceptus on flowers of wild hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) at Trail of Tears State Park in southeast Missouri last June, I encountered this strange fly also visiting the hydrangea blossoms.  At first I thought it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Conopidae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Newly emerged rabbit bot fly

Posted on May 8, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

First things first – congratulations to Mark Deering (Sophia Sachs Butterfly House, right here in St. Louis) and Rod Rood (Washington State University) for correctly identifying yesterday’s “What the heck?” as the cast puparium of an oestrid bot fly.  Mark eventually staked his claim … Continue reading →

Posted in Diptera, Oestridae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments