My group and I arrived in Costa Rica yesterday. We are still getting our bearings, but today we got at least a little time in the field. No doubt we will continue to find strange and exciting new behaviors and species of phorid flies. As I write this, there is pounding rain outside, hopefully not flooding the two light traps (see previous post). Tomorrow, I should have time and energy to publish a longer blog on what we have found so far
Meanwhile, take a look at this Microdon flower fly from a Malaise trap sample. This is from an area around the town of Guapiles, where we are also staying. I’m not an expert on this group, but this is a pretty amazing looking fly to me. Maybe one of the syrphid experts will comment?
Hey Brian, it indeed looks like Microdon, you should send the picture to Menno Reemer, he just finished a world wide revision of the subfamily Microdontinae. If anyone would be able to put a name on it, he’s the one!
Greetings
if I only had time!
Sorry, can’t see enough details to tell for sure to which group it belongs.