Non-biting Midge Flies (Chironomidae)
Here are a pair of tiny mating flies on a leaflet of Wild Sweetpea (Lathyrus vestitus, Fabaceae) in the woods today. I believe they are Non-biting Midge Flies (Chironomidae, Diptera). This is real sexual dimorphism, meaning that males and females look totally different, see this photo for another example with crab spiders. It's almost Wednesday, so Happy Hump Day! (San Marcos Pass, 18 January 2022)
Non-biting Midge Flies (Chironomidae)
Here are a pair of tiny mating flies on a leaflet of Wild Sweetpea (Lathyrus vestitus, Fabaceae) in the woods today. I believe they are Non-biting Midge Flies (Chironomidae, Diptera). This is real sexual dimorphism, meaning that males and females look totally different, see this photo for another example with crab spiders. It's almost Wednesday, so Happy Hump Day! (San Marcos Pass, 18 January 2022)