A
curious little fly was searching among the marsh elder leaves. Its front legs
had white “feet”, which the fly frequently rubbed producing an eerie resemblance
with an ichneumonoid wasps. The body coloring was also similar to its hymenopteran
models, and banded wing patterns made the fly appear to have a
narrow
wasp-like waist. Very little is known of the biology of Stilt-legged Flies (Micropezidae)
other than the larvae are mostly excrement or rotted plant material eaters and
that the North American species live near water. These flies are mostly
tropical, and not very common further north.
The adult diet is mostly unknown. Some species have elaborate courtship rituals
such as “dancing”, direct feeding of the female, or placement of fluids on the
eye of the female to wipe off and consume. This particular species is probably Taeniaptera trivittata.
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