Our Yard 4 June 2006 (Riverside, Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas)

A Web Page by Roy Beckemeyer

Last updated 5 June 2006

Right: A Long-legged fly (Diptera: Dolichopolidae).  These flies were being reasonably cooperative - if the lighting conditions are just right, they can take off when they see the flash coming on and the picture ends up blurry.  These are mostly in focus. 

Left below: A side view of this individual.

Right: A front view of the Long-legged fly.

Left and Right Below: A final pcture in our photo essay on Dolichopolidae.  In this view the body appears metallic green instead of coppery (a function of the direction of reflection of light from the insect).  The row of white hairs lining the sides of the first several abdominal segments can be seen, as can the haltere on the right thorax (Arrow in close up below).

(Diptera are also called True Flies or Two-winged Flies as they have wings only on the middle thoracic segment.  The wings on the hind segment have evolved into halteres - club-like appendages that function sort of like vibrating-beam gyroscopes and aid in flight control.)

Right and Background: A male Familiar Bluet (Odonata: Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae: Enallagma civile) was perching quietly in the same section of the garden as the dolichopolids.