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- This page contains pictures and information about Owl-flies that
we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
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Larvae
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- Adults in this family are from medium to large size. They
are usually yellow in colour with dark patterns. They have the long and
clubbed pear-shaped antennae. When rest, their abdomen is extended above the stem that they
are sitting on while their wings hanging downwards.
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- Owl-flies are good flier although they spend most of their time resting on
stem. Adults are predator,
hunting insects in flight. Some of them are active both day and night.
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- The larvae hunt prey with their large jaw on ground and low
vegetations. They have flattened body which is ovoid in shape. Their head
is large with large mandibles projected forwards for hunting small
insects.
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- Owl-fly lays eggs on grass seed stem.
Larvae
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- Their eggs are hard and oval, laid in masses around twigs or grass-stalk,
number in about 50 to 100.
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- Following list different owl-fly species that we found in Brisbane.
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- Yellow Owl-fly
 - Suhpalacsa flavipes, body length 45mm, female, male
- This Owl-fly is black in colour with yellow markings.
Head and legs are pale yellow with dark grey eyes. On wings the pterostigma
is lemon yellow, in hindwings the pterostigma
is dark basal spot. Wings are relative broad.
Please check this page for more information.
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- Cloudy-wings Owl-fly
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Suhpalacsa dietrichiae, body length 45mm,
- We found this owl-fly in Karawatha Forest on Jan 2010. This Owl-fly has the
all black antenna and the creamy white pterostigma
on each wing and cloudy grey shaded near wing tip. Please check this page
for more information.
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- Australian Common Owl-fly
 - Suhpalacsa subtrahens, body length 45mm, female, male
- The Australian Owl-fly is dark grayish brown in colour with yellow
markings. Eyes are grayish brown, with long and knobbed antennae. Two pairs of
membrane wings are clean with dark brown pterostigma.
Legs are short and dark in colour. Check this page
for more information.
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- Black Owl-fly
 
Suhpalacsa nigrescens, body length 45mm, - This owl-fly is dark brown to black in colours. Antennae are black , Club
is black with yellow at the base. Abdomen is dark brown to black with yellow
ring around each segment border. Pterostigma
are almost all black. Please check this page
for more information.
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- Lyriform Owl-fly
 
 - Suhpalacsa lyriformis, body length 45mm, male
- This Owl-fly is dark grey and brown on colours. On the back of abdomen there are the velvety
chocolate brown lyriform marks. The antenna
club has pale patch at the base. All legs are dark brown as well. Pterostigma
are very dark brown. Visit this page
for more infromation.
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- Reference:
- 1. Insects
of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University
Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 541.
- 2. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus &
Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p324.
- 3. Wildlife
of greater Brisbane - Queensland Museum, p99.
- 4. A
field guide to insects in Australia - By Paul Zborowski and Ross
Storey, Reed New Holland, 1996, p105.
- 5. Revision
of the Australian Ascalaphidae (Insecta: Neuroptera) - New, T.R.
(1984). Aust. J. Zool. Suppl. 100: 1-86.
- 6. Northern
Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.
[ Up ] [ Lacewings, Antlions and Owl Flies Biology ] [ Osmylidae ] [ Mantispidae ] [ Hemerobiidae ] [ Chrysopidae ] [ Nymphidae ] [ Myrmeleontinae ] [ Stilbopteryginae ] [ Ascalaphidae ]
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