Ant-mimicking Fly - ? Micronevrina sp.
Family Tephritidae
This page contains pictures and information about Ant-mimicking Flies that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia
- Body length 5mm
- We found this fly mimics ants when moves. Just looking at those fly photos, you may not recognize how this fly mimics ants. When we first saw this fly, it was walking on a board leaf. When moving, it waved its wings alternatively.
We thought we was watching a small group of ants moving prey and there were two
to three ants running in Panic/alert mode around their prey.
- We believe the mimic was target to fool the predator that hunt by visual, such as the jumping spider, lynx spider or small mantids. Most insects predators will avoid the panicking ants or ants with prey.
- This fly is quite common in our backyard.
- Reference:
- 1. Australian Trypetinae (Diptera : Tephritidae) - Surakrai Permkam and David L. Hanccock, Invertebr. Taxon., 1995, 9, 1047-1209.
