BlackDragon Posted February 14, 2007 Heyall. This morning i was watering my collection, when i noticed the soil moving around the base of one of my fattest trichs. As i hit the pot wth water, this massive, and i mean MASSSIVE fly crawled out from the soil!! Ive been kinda studying insects relationships with my cacti, tyring to work out the predators and the unwanteds, but i have never seen this type of fly before. Ever. Anyone know what its is? and why it may have been there? I didt know there were many burrowing flys, I wonder if it lay eggs in my rootball!?! Here some macros.. here it is in scale to a 250mm pot. you can see the hole, just next to the trich, to the right of the fly.. And a closeup of th fly with water on its head Top view...look at its fat booty! Fav shot... And wing detail.. just beautiful !! As i assume most flys are fruit or meat eaters, no root eaters like gnats. Could this guy just have been having a rest from the extreme heat of the day? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amulte Posted February 14, 2007 (edited) That fly is not a meat eating one i know that much. could be a march fly maybe. just wanted to say STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHY! In traditional Navajo religion, Big Fly is an important spirit being. Edited February 14, 2007 by Amulte Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ace Posted February 14, 2007 Seriously - Great pics!! I think it could be an average horse fly or something - tho cant say I've ever done anything other than swat them, let alone research em lol. If its a burrower, I think it could be worth getting a bit of pyrethrum, or some other non toxic bug-be-gone stuff, and get him to move to your neighbours place or something 'This town is no place for flies eating psychedelic cacti...' in the voice of Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Conan Troutman Posted February 14, 2007 nice camera work.. March flies get really big and have a very annoying bite, looks more like a bluebottle to me? It probably just hatched from the soil. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob-bob Posted February 14, 2007 Could it be possible that huge sucker was leaving behind a few hundred larvae? I love the photos.. Nice work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KlUe Posted February 14, 2007 Nice photography mate, my Canon S2IS has a super macro mode that takes pics from 1cm to 10cm at perfect focus - is this what you were using? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amulte Posted February 14, 2007 hmmm ok def not a march fly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlackDragon Posted February 14, 2007 Nah, doesnt look like a marchie. Its bum was soo wide and fat, i thought I was looking at a giant black bumblebee at first, before i realised i was looking at a fly... but that bum was soo... how you say.. bee like (cant believe im analyzing a fly's bum!) Pics are from RICOH Caplio RR1 i brought in honkers many years back. Only 4 megapixies. Back then they said it wasnt a camera , but an "ICD, Image Capturing Device" whaaa? isnt that what a camera is anyway? Thanks for the feedback people, I always see weird insect action around my collection, ill be sure to capture some more now i know people enjoy it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlackDragon Posted February 14, 2007 Amulte, Are you serious about the big fly spirit? If so, thats kinda cool.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amulte Posted February 14, 2007 Amulte, Are you serious about the big fly spirit? If so, thats kinda cool.... ;) yup, tho if i could remember its name id be able to provide a link Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Conan Troutman Posted February 14, 2007 Def not a marchie, Im pretty sure it is a bluebottle the shiny blueness is a giveaway, but im no expert just seen shitloads of flys. bluey pic and descipt: http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th6c.htm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MORG Posted February 14, 2007 Awesome photos indeed. Don't know my flies, but if you're really curious I suggest uploading the photos to the web and writing an e-mail to an entomologist at a museum or uni. There's a fly specialist at the Australian Museum, can't remember his name now but I'll look him up if you're interested. And KlUe: I've got an S2IS. I think they're a great camera. The poor-man's digital SLR I think. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderIdeal Posted April 11, 2007 (late post) i reckon it to be mutant. i saw a giant mutant fly when i was a kid. about 20 metres down the throat of the xmas reef goldmine which my grandparents owned. hundreds of ordinary flies on the wall, including one giant, mutant fucking thing, even bigger than yours and a hundred times uglier. it was definitely a dipteran, and i reckoned it to be a mutated ordinary fly, though it's features were different. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
83turkey Posted May 5, 2007 WOW! what lens are you using dude! awesome! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
