The family of Picture-Winged Flies is filled with bold, flashy and striking members and Delphinia picta is no exception.
Delphinia picta is one of central and eastern North America's most common Picture-Winged Flies. Its wings are mostly black, but they bear solid white stripes and spots on them. The body, by contrast, is a lighter brown or flesh color. Its eyes are a pinky-rose color.
Females will deposit hundreds of fertilized eggs using an ovipositor, a syringe-like tail. The eggs are placed inside very rotten fruit, vegetable or flower matter. Within a week, they will hatch and the larvae (maggots) will feed on the remains of the plant matter surrounding them. Though most larvae will pupate and emerge as adults in the same year, the larvae can overwinter in deeper ground and complete their aging process the subsequent spring.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Diptera
Family:Ulidiidae
Genus:Delphinia
Species:picta
Identifying Information
Scientific Name: Delphinia picta
Category:
Fly or Mosquito
Size (Adult; Length): 5mm to 9mm (0.20in to 0.35in)
Note: An insect's reach is not limited by lines drawn on a map and therefore species may appear in areas, regions and/or states beyond those listed above as they are driven by environmental factors (such as climate change), available food supplies and mating patterns. Grayed-out selections indicate that the subject in question has not been reported in that particular territory. U.S. states and Canadian provinces / territories are clickable to their respective bug listings.
Colors: black, white, pink, yellow, brown
