Not What You Might Think. Common Greenbottle Fly, Lucilia caesar, on Oenanthe crocata, Water Dropwort, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Yes, they're in a reproductive mood. But differently than you might think.
In flies, the female pokes her ovipositor into the seminal organ of the male; female is on the left in the photo, the male right. Once there, sperm ejaculate is forced into it, and she stores it until her eggs are ready to be ovideposited.
The Act is quite a feat: it usually takes at least 20 minutes and can last up to two hours. Ejaculative Time by the male is about 9 minutes. It has been claimed by entomologists that the time between those 9 minutes and those two hours shows that these Beasties enjoy what they're doing.
But I'm as much fascinated by the colors!
Not What You Might Think. Common Greenbottle Fly, Lucilia caesar, on Oenanthe crocata, Water Dropwort, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Yes, they're in a reproductive mood. But differently than you might think.
In flies, the female pokes her ovipositor into the seminal organ of the male; female is on the left in the photo, the male right. Once there, sperm ejaculate is forced into it, and she stores it until her eggs are ready to be ovideposited.
The Act is quite a feat: it usually takes at least 20 minutes and can last up to two hours. Ejaculative Time by the male is about 9 minutes. It has been claimed by entomologists that the time between those 9 minutes and those two hours shows that these Beasties enjoy what they're doing.
But I'm as much fascinated by the colors!