Mating wasp-mimic flies on California Coffeeberry
You might have to look twice to see that these are mating flies and not wasps! They are doing it in a flowering shrub of native California Coffeeberry (Frangula californica, Rhamnaceae) in the woods today. I assumed at the time that they were Syrphid Flies (Syrphidae) like the one in this photo, but now I can see that the eyes are not patterned and the antennae are all wrong. The antennae in particular look like they belong to a Soldier Fly in the family Stratiomyidae. Maybe they are the species Stratiomys maculosa which I show in this photo, but I believe that one has a noticeably flattened abdomen which these flies seem to lack. I don't know what else it could be. Any advice on ID will be appreciated. (San Marcos Pass, 14 June 2020)
*Update* Nope, these flies are Syrphid flies (Syrphidae) - species Ceriana tridens. See this photo for more info.
Mating wasp-mimic flies on California Coffeeberry
You might have to look twice to see that these are mating flies and not wasps! They are doing it in a flowering shrub of native California Coffeeberry (Frangula californica, Rhamnaceae) in the woods today. I assumed at the time that they were Syrphid Flies (Syrphidae) like the one in this photo, but now I can see that the eyes are not patterned and the antennae are all wrong. The antennae in particular look like they belong to a Soldier Fly in the family Stratiomyidae. Maybe they are the species Stratiomys maculosa which I show in this photo, but I believe that one has a noticeably flattened abdomen which these flies seem to lack. I don't know what else it could be. Any advice on ID will be appreciated. (San Marcos Pass, 14 June 2020)
*Update* Nope, these flies are Syrphid flies (Syrphidae) - species Ceriana tridens. See this photo for more info.