Bubble-leg March Fly
Male, Front Leg Spines
Flinders Ranges
Spiky Bee Fly
Female Abdomen
 
                      
Spiky Bee Fly (Aleucosia atherix)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Flies (Diptera)
Family: Bee Fly (Bombyliidae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Spiky Bee Fly (Aleucosia atherix)
This Photo:     🔍Mating🔎

Thank you Dr Chris Lambkin for confirming the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found in the Flinders Ranges and possibly elsewhere
A rare treat for us to find bee flies mating. For the first time we've recognised the different eye separation between the males & females. Here, the male is at the top with the eyes touching, female below with separated eyes.
We've seen this in many other fly species, but not Bee Flies. We've always used ventral shots and skills of people like Chris to tell the difference. Perhaps now we'll be able to separate some ourselves.
Chris said "Eye separation difference common in bombs"
Reiner Richter made an interesting observation about another bee fly. Males can be separated from females by behaviour "it was returning to a perch and chasing similar passing insects". In other words, males are territorial.

Copyright © 2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 10-Sep-2024
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.