Too good not to share!A large flower fly called an Apiocera sp. caught my attention two days ago on the Verticordia densiflora in Wandoo National Park, York.Photo: Jean
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The insects were very quick today and seemed to mostly only let me get to 1.5metres from them before zooming away. This one did let me get a bit closer but didn't sit long enough to get a clear wing shot.
This is a fly I saw for the first time last year and again last week. It is a very shy fly and sits on the ground and hides under leaves and twigs. On certain angles the wings take on the most brilliant blue hue.
Diptera Apiocera picaInterestingly today, this one was making a buzzing sound as it flew around and made interesting tail displays after it had landed.The wings on this one are interesting at original size. Pity the head wasn't in better focus.
There have been some magnificent Apiocera flies (flower loving flies) on the Verticordia this yearThis was a fast flying small noisy fly which flew low to the ground and fed on the Verticordia lindleyi flowers. It also sat on the ground where it blended with the leaf and twig litter.An adaptation of this male in that its antennae were very long. The fly was able to adjust its antennae to feed from the flower. Photo: Fred
Fred found an Apiocera fly laying eggs in soft sand. Located on the flood plain of Mortlock River East Branch, Cunderdin - 160 km east of Perth. These were flying, feeding and resting on small rises of warm, dry, mottled sand on the saline river bed.When she had finished, she brushed her hind legs to rearrange the sand over the hole where she had laid her eggs. Photo: Jean
During the last week I have watched these 1 to 1.5cm flies fly from flower to flower, getting patted on the back with pollen each time. They then sat down on a stick rested a short while, then cleaned and ate the pollen. A very sneaky way to get a feed. Each flower was visited for less than a second in time. "A small family of mostly rather large flies, somewhat resembling Asilidae and Therevidae. The Australian members of the family were revised by Paramonov (1953), and the Australian fauna now consists of the single genus Apiocera with 67 described and many undescribed species (Yeates & Irwin 1996). Adult Apiocera are strong, noisy fliers, and occupy a wide range of habitats, from sea beaches and desert to forests at high altitudes; at least half of our known species are associated with relatively arid conditions. ..."Atlas of Living Australia"Photo: Fred
Too good not to share!A large flower fly called an Apiocera sp. caught my attention two days ago on the Verticordia densiflora in Wandoo National Park, York.Photo: Jean
There have been some magnificent Apiocera flies (flower loving flies) on the Verticordia this year. This one was hiding on an old dried plant. I haven't seen this species before this but have seen it twice since this photo was taken. Photo: Jean
