Subject: Maybe a tiger bee fly?
Geographic location of the bug: Louisville, KY 40299
Date: 07/20/2021
Time: 11:00 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman : Good day sir, this (not so little) guy was hanging out on my front porch and wasn’t too disturbed by me getting my phone very close for these striking images. I placed a penny near it in a couple of photos so you could have a sense of scale. Wondered what exactly it is and if it is dangerous in any way. Thanks kindly!
How you want your letter signed: Wayne H
Tachinid Fly
Dear Wayne,
Daniel just published an identification request for a Tiger Bee Fly, which is definitely not your fly. This is actually a Parasitic Tachinid Fly in the family Tachinidae, a group with many individuals that are covered with course hairs, so they are sometimes called Bristle Flies. Your individual appears to be a member of the genus Leschenaultia which is pictured on BugGuide where the host prey is identified as members of several moth families. Insects that are parasitoids, meaning the eggs are laid on the bodies of host insects which are eaten alive, are often very specific about the host prey which is sometimes limited to a single species. This fly poses no threat to humans.
Tachinid Fly
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