Bugguide.net - nice website for amateur identification of... Bugs
Once you start doing macro photography, it's inevitable to become curious about the "models".
What are they? Are they really special or common? Do they bite?
A few days ago this little fellow entered my home and decided that my white desk was the perfect place to chill out.
The amount of light was low, thus instead of shooting it with the Canon 600d, took the Sony a6000 (*yes, it's my thumb, there is no need for further identification).
Let's identify the insect!
Ok, this is an Insect - one of at least 1.000.000 others...
Take a look at its wings: it's not a butterfly (Lepidoptera) and it's not Coleoptera ("hard wings"). Now... Is it Hymenoptera (something like a wasp) or Diptera (something like a fly)?
Hymenoptera usually have 2 pairs of wings, although one pair could be reduced.
But, Diptera have one functional pair and the pair of halteres. Halteres are used as some kind of balancing weights that allow them to make fast air manoeuvres.
It's also probably not Hymenoptera because its torso is not "pinched".
The biggest problem is that many flys got adaptations that made them very similar to wasps and vice versa.
Ok, this is a fly, Diptera, one of about 100-150.000 species :D
Now, look at its antennae.
If the antennae are short, it's probably some "common fly like" creature, or Brachycera.
Our fellow, however, has long, filamenthous antennae, thus it's more likely to be Nematocera. Translated into plain English, some "mosquito-like fly".
Nematocera, "mosquito-like fly" (I just made up this silly name)
To be honest, my pre-knowledge ended up here, but I dug deeper in Nematocera...
Ok, it's not a mosquito, not bee-like fly...
According to https://bugguide.net website, and search based on my images this is some kind of Chironomidae. Those are known to be aquatic or semi-aquatic. In Northern France, where the rain is the most common weather, it's probably the truth.
Chironomidae, one of 10.000 Chironomidae, not bad (or I got it completely wrong)
If there is someone who is an entomologist, I would really like to know what is this
It's fantastic how much diversity of life we can find in our own room
Entomologists, Help! :)
Looooollll :D
You can ask @mountainwashere. He used to publish his Nature Identification Threads every once in a while. Perhaps he can help :)
Really interesting, mosquito like fly. Although i dont know the latin names but i really enjoyed the insight of this bugg and how they evolved as you mentioned :)
Thanks :) If you know some student from the Faculty of Biology - bring them to the platform to help us.
I will tell my friends :)
Thank You for this post; it has been extremely insightful & useful to increase my knowledge. Well, I'm so happy that I have found this post because I have been seeking some information about it.
Please, don't write copy-paste comments. You will get flagged.
The only reason I haven't done that is the fact you are new.
Thank you
I am following you.
It seemed to me that your little friend is like that Psyllopsis or Psyllidae.
Look at this link: https://macroid.ru/showphoto.php?photo=181290/
I once used this site to identify a cockroach :D