Family MYDIDAE - Mydas flies
This is a small family of handsome, elongate flies, of medium to large size.
Mydas Flies are usually wasp-mimicking. They look similar to
Asilidae but can be distinguished by the 4-seggmented long clubbed antennae and
wing venation.
The larvae are believe to be predacious, some feed on beetle larvae in rotting
wood.
Wasp-mimicking Mydas Fly - Diochlistus aureipennis (D. auripennis)
- This page contains pictures and information about Mydas Flies that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Body length 30mm
- This
is a very large fly. It has black thorax, orange wings and abdomen, and very elongated, orange antennae.
This fly has the wasp's colour and body shape. It does the mimicking better that other robber flies by its longer antenna. Usually
most other flies have very short antenna. This fly has the longer antenna makes it better
in wasp-mimicking.
- When taking those photos, we thought this flying insect was a Large Potter Wasp or Spider Wasp, although we had a little wonder. This "wasp" was not behaving like a wasp. A normal wasp usually flies away if we come close within one meter. This "wasp" just kept on what it was doing. It seemed very interested at the large dead tree trunk. It flied around and landed on different spots of the tree trunk.
- We came back home and looked at those photos, the insect looked like a rubber fly. But its antenna was 4-segmented and too long for a robber fly. We check further and found out it was a Mydas Fly.
- Since Mydas Fly larvae are believe to be predacious, may feed on beetle larvae in rotting
wood. We then realized that this Mydas Fly could be a female who sensed some
preys inside the dead tree and about to lay eggs on it.
- We found this fly once in Ford Road Conservation Area on Jan 2009.
- Checking our records, just found that we saw this Mydas Fly first on Dec 2009 in Karawatha Forest. Just thought that it was a wasp.
- Reference:
- 1. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus & Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p363 and plate 20.25.
- 2. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p 758.
Back to Top
[ Up ] [ BOMBYLIIDAE ] [ APIOCERIDAE ] [ MYDIDAE ] - 1. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus & Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p363 and plate 20.25.
