Trichopoda lanipes (Tachinidae)


Description: I posted two views of this remarkable fly to show the ornate hairs on the hind tibia and one with the hairs not in view. The Tachinidae are parasitic on a variety of insects and Trichopoda species parasitize stinkbugs and leaf footed bugs. Most folks do not know that flies are major pollinators and this one was found nectaring on Queen Anne’s lace.

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Pertinent technical details or techniques: D850 200mm f4 Micro (1/640 sec at f20, ISO 400) Topaz DeNoise, adjusted exposure and manipulated linear curve in Lightroom. Crop for comp and tweaked Brightness & Contrast…Jim

Is this a composite? (focus stacks or exposure blends are not considered composites)

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Jim, some how I missed seeing this one. I don’t think I have ever seen one of these flies before. Amazing details you captured in him. I kind of like the second one because of the whole image having the flowers, but the details in the first one lets me really see the fly up close and personal. Both are excellent shots. Yes, I have seen flies on some of our flowers too.

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Thank you @Shirley_Freeman. You have to an entomologist to appreciate a fly as unusual as this one. I may rotate the top one 180 degrees and that might get a few more looks…Jim

Jim, I am for sure no entomologist but I anyhow like this image a lot with its great details and sharpness. And I would have flipped the 180 degrees image horisontally:)

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Jim, I like the rotation. It is amazing that just doing that seems, in my mind, to have improved the image.

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