Mystery (to me) bugs.....ID's please

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sonyalpha
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Mystery (to me) bugs.....ID's please

Post by sonyalpha »

Image

Image

I spotted these small bugs crawling around a bay tree and on Bamboo today.....At first I thought the winged one was a flying ant?

The other reminded me of a carpet beetle............but doesn't match any photographs in my Collins Field Guide:

Any ideas on ID's please?

sonyalpha
Retired but not old in spirit:

Fairly new to photography........keen to learn:

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

The first one is a "true bug", order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera. The most obvious diagnostic feature is the X structure formed by the front wings when held flat over the back. This shape results from each wing being divided into a membranous outer section and a thickened basal section, combined with a triangular plate that is part of the thorax. The triangular plate forms the bottom quarter of the X, the thickened basal sections of the wings form the side quarters, and the membranous outer sections, overlapped, form the top quarter.

The second is a "true fly", order Diptera. The diagnostic features are two wings and two halteres, the latter seen in your specimen as those white lumps shaped like punching bags, positioned between the middle and rear legs. A flying ant would have four wings.

--Rik

sonyalpha
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Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:41 am
Location: Middle England
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Post by sonyalpha »

Fascinating Rik...........................Thank you for being so quick off the mark:

I am wondering if the second of the two disguises itself as an ant?.........................it truly had me fooled at first glance:

sonyalpha
Retired but not old in spirit:

Fairly new to photography........keen to learn:

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