I was photographing bees on a tree heliotrope in Kawaihae when I saw this fly. It’s a new one for me, so I was happy to get decent photos and to be able to identify it afterwards.
This is a Feather-legged Fly (Trichopoda pennipes). It’s one of those flies which lays its eggs on host bugs, such as leaf-footed bugs and stink bugs. On hatching, the larvae make for the bug’s interior and develop safely within. The end product is a new fly and a dead bug. Because some of the bugs it uses as hosts are crop pests, it’s considered a beneficial insect.
The bottom photo shows why it got its name!
Graham's Island 
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Oh such a great capture of those legs, Graham. I love that the fly helps reduce pests!
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I was glad to get that photo. At the time, of course, I had no idea what I was looking at or what was significant!
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A fabulous post Graham, I love nature and this fly is a good one. Great macros as well 🙂
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Thanks Brian. Always fun to find something new and interesting in the natural world.
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It is always 🙂
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Flies are gross, but wow, your photos show their “better” side so to speak.
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They are kind of gross, but when I get good photos of one I’m always taken by how beautiful they look.
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Great shot!
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Thanks Sheree. Glad you liked it.
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great shots of the fly, so clear! Kind of pretty, but what a creepy reproductive cycle!
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It’s a little creepy, but nature has a ton of unseemly things going on in it! I was happy to get good photos and to identify it fairly easily.
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