We spotted this bug recently at Kinglake. It is roughly bee-size, and we found several of them, but not all in the same place. They were mostly in the dirt. C.G. and E.M., Beaufort.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This is a female soldier fly. Females are wingless, but males have wings.
The long gangly legs and the pointed tail are diagnostic.
They start their lives in compost and soil, emerging as adults when autumn rains come.
At that time they climb tree-trunks, walls and fences, where they are found by the winged males.
In my limited experience, they occur mostly in higher-rainfall areas (Bolwarrah and Mt Buninyong, for example). Although they can be common for a short time, they appear to be generally uncommon.
- Questions and photos are welcome. Send to Roger Thomas at The Courier, PO Box 21, Ballarat, 3353, or email to rthomas@vic.australis.com.au