Antler fly
At least two big “fly announcements” are coming soon. Meanwhile, I am posting this photo of an antler fly (a type of fruit fly from New Guinea) for your entertainment.
Coming soon – big news for the fly obsessed
flyobsession
for those who live and breathe dipterology
Wow. Phytalmia… Just a few months ago enjoyed sitting and starring at McAlpines types at AM…
These are definitely some of the coolest looking Diptera in the museum collection: this photo I assume is of Phytalmia cervicornis
I particularly enjoyed the taxonomic history of P. cervicornis. Both Gerstaeker (1860) and Saunders (1861) independently gave this amazing fly the same specific name: Phytalmia cervicornis Gerstaeker, 1860 and Elaphomyia cervicornis Saunders, 1861. Entomologists often think alike, then again what other name besides “deer horn” would you give such a unique fly.
Wow! Glad that fly is small. :o)
Intrigued about the “big news.”
Any speculation/explanation on why those antenna are so bizarrely elongate?
look again, Ted, they aren’t antennae…
Wow, what the heck are those?
Facial horns, used just like deer antlers. See Dodson, 1997 for details.