Much more is known about the family of true flies that this species belongs to
Up until the evening of May 31st, this insect wasn’t going to be in the June gallery. I was eating dinner on my back porch with my wife, when suddenly this true fly came and landed on the table. I was mesmerized by the metallic colors and quickly ran inside to grab my camera. After a five-minute photo shoot in which the subject was highly compliant, I was able to capture the series of photos you see here. Let’s learn more about the Condylostylus sipho.
The species of insect seen has the scientific name Condylostylus sipho. It does not have any known common names, and very little is known about this species in particular. It is known to live in North America. Much more is known about the family of true flies that this species belongs to, which is known as Dolichopodidae, or the longlegged fly family.
The Condylostylus sipho was first described by Thomas Say in 1823. Thomas Say is considered to be the found of descriptive entomology in the United States. He was born in Philadelphia in 1787 and died in New Harmony, Indiana in 1834. He originally moved to New Harmony to be a part of an “ideal community”. Although this community did not last, he decided to stay in New Harmony. He described Condylostylus sipho in his book “Descriptions of Dipterous Insects of the United States”. This is his original description of Condylostylus sipho, “Body green brilliant…front blue; antennae and palpi black; proboscis yellowish; thorax tinged with blue; scutel blue…Length one-fourth of an inch…the terminal segments of the tergum of the male are tinged with golden, but the ultimate segment in each sex is blue”.
The Dolichopodidae Family that the Condylostylus sipho belongs to is made up of more than 8,000 species comprising about 250 genera. The genus Dolichopus, which this fly was originally assigned to, contains more than 600 species! The species in this family range in size from 1 millimeter to 9 millimeters. They have long legs in relation to their bodies, and they can be described as stilt-like. They tend to live in grassy places and in shrubbery. They will live near water, in meadows, on the edge of woodlands, and in gardens.
The Dolichopodidae family that the Condylostylus sipho belongs to is made up of more than 8,000 species
Did you know?
- The adults in the Dolichopodidae family are predators, and they prey on small invertebrates.
- Most species have prominent eyes and a metallic appearance to their bodies.
- The Condylostylus sipho may partake in kleptoparasitism like other members of its family. This means that they steal their food from other beings, such as spiders and other insects.
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