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Diptera Mimicry
Tony T
#1 Print Post
Posted on 18-09-2007 20:39
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 A new thread to bring together those flies that mimic other species of insects.
This specimen gave me this idea, I would have bet it was an Hymenopteran

See: Loxocera hoffmannseggi (Psilidae)

It looks like it is mimicing an Ichneumonid.
Edited by Tony T on 22-09-2007 21:49
 
Tony T
#2 Print Post
Posted on 18-09-2007 23:16
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 See: Bumblebee mimic

Portschinskia loewi (Oestridae: Hypodermatidae).
Edited by Tony T on 22-09-2007 21:46
 
Tony T
#3 Print Post
Posted on 19-09-2007 13:47
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 See: Bumblebee mimic
Merodon equestris, Syrphidae, note the way wings held across abdomen, typical of bumblebees.
Edited by Tony T on 22-09-2007 21:46
 
Tony T
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Posted on 19-09-2007 21:13
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 Several Syrphidae e.g., Temnostoma spp. such as T. bombylans and T. vespiforme mimic wasps, the latter species mimics Vespula and Dolichovespula spp.

See: HERE
Edited by Tony T on 22-09-2007 21:45
 
Tony Irwin
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Posted on 20-09-2007 01:19
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 I think for social wasp mimics, the tephritid genus Bactrocera takes some beating - see
http://www.eppo.o...rocera.htm and
http://commons.wi...rsalis.jpg
Tony
----------
Tony Irwin
 
jorgemotalmeida
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Posted on 20-09-2007 02:54
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 See: Vespa crabro mimic

Milesia crabroniformis (Syrphidae) mimics Vespa crabro (Vespidae).
Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 20-09-2007 03:03
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/superegnum
Tony T
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Posted on 20-09-2007 20:24
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 This is a North American Physocephala sp. (Conopidae) that closely resembles a Potter Wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae). In fact, when I first saw this fly on a flower I thought it was a Potter wasp.
Length: 10.5mm excluding antennae. 19 September 2007, New Brunswick, Canada.
Tony T attached the following image:


[52.53Kb]
Edited by Tony T on 22-09-2007 21:42
 
Tony T
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Posted on 22-09-2007 18:08
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 Tabanidae, Hybomitra zonalis, female. 9 July 2005, NB, Canada. Length: range 14-18mm.
Black and yellow banding is quite common in many insects and is thought to be seen as a warning pattern to vertebrate predators. Black & Yellow banding, of course, is the basic colour pattern of stinging wasps which presumably form the model for this and the other wasp mimics.
Tony T attached the following image:


[27.77Kb]
 
Tony T
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Posted on 22-09-2007 21:32
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 Solitary Bee mimic: Stratiomyidae > Stratiomys longicornis

See: HERE
Edited by Tony T on 22-09-2007 21:43
 
Alvesgaspar
#10 Print Post
Posted on 23-09-2007 00:28
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 Wasp like syrphidic: Ceriana vespiformis

Please see here: http://commons.wi...2007-2.jpg

Joaquim Gaspar
Lisboa
 
Alvesgaspar
#11 Print Post
Posted on 23-09-2007 00:49
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 ... and, of course, the "Drone-fly" (Eristalis tenax), whose model is the honey bee drone. In this photo the similarity is amazing:

http://commons.wi...007-3a.jpg

Joaquim Gaspar
Lisboa
Edited by Alvesgaspar on 23-09-2007 21:08
 
jorgemotalmeida
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Posted on 23-09-2007 00:55
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Alvesgaspar wrote:
Wasp like syrphidic: Ceriana vespiformis

Please see here: http://commons.wi...2007-2.jpg

Joaquim Gaspar
Lisboa



C. vespiformis is very similar to Conops flavipes. But here it is convergent evolution, I think.
Both mimic wasps.
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/superegnum
jorgemotalmeida
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Posted on 23-09-2007 02:40
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 Sepsidae flies have an appearance similar to some ants.
But I think this is another case of convergent evolution. Am I right? Anybody contests this assumption? Thank you.
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/superegnum
crex
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Posted on 23-09-2007 10:54
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 If I remember correctly some Tephritidae mimics Salticidae spiders!?
 
Tony T
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Posted on 23-09-2007 16:59
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jorgemotalmeida wrote:
Sepsidae flies have an appearance similar to some ants.
But I think this is another case of convergent evolution. Am I right? Anybody contests this assumption? Thank you.

Anything that runs around on the ground or on leaves and looks like an aggressive venemous predator has my vote for a mimic.

See: Sepsidae > Australosepsis cf. niveipennis : HERE
Edited by Tony T on 23-09-2007 17:00
 
Tony T
#16 Print Post
Posted on 23-09-2007 18:50
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crex wrote:
If I remember correctly some Tephritidae mimics Salticidae spiders!?

Need a photo of a Rhagoletis from behindGrin
According to Marshall "the wing-banding pattern....seen from behind.. makes the fly look remarkedly like a jumping spider (the bands look like spider legs)"
Who wants to tangle with a jumping spider?

Edit: Further reading indicates that the mimicry is to fool jumping spiders as these spiders are the major predators. "Greene et al. (1987) and Whitman et al. (1988) showed that Z. vittigera mimics jumping spiders and is significantly protected from these common predators on its host plant. During the fly's wing flicking displays, its wing pattern resembles the legs and the abdominal spots the eyes of a spider in its own territorial display."

See: Reference here
Edited by Tony T on 24-09-2007 14:54
 
Tony T
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Posted on 24-09-2007 02:41
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 Several Asilids in the genus Laphria are mimics of bumlebees, e.g., Asilidae > Laphria affinis (male)
SEE: HERE
 
crex
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Posted on 24-09-2007 16:28
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 Crawfish mimicry? Grin
 
jorgemotalmeida
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Posted on 24-09-2007 18:01
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 See: Salticidae jumping spider mimic

Ceratitis capitata (Tephritidae) mimics Salticidae jumping spiders.
Edited by jorgemotalmeida on 24-09-2007 18:05
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/superegnum
Tony T
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Posted on 24-09-2007 22:45
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crex wrote:
Crawfish mimicry? Grin

I think we can put this in the same league as the "Alligator Bug" (Homoptera: Fulgora laternaria), the head of which does look like an alligator and would be great mimicry apart from the discrepancy of habitat and size between the model and mimicShock.
 
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