Ah, a fellow fly lover. I've been taking quite a few of flies lately and they have amazing colors. Yesterday I was trying to photograph them in the air with the sun shining on them... DOF was impossible even with my good macro lens... however the "sunlight lines" that they made were fascinating. Haven't posted any yet.. probably something only I would enjoy. lol.
@stefneyhart Thank you Stef, yes they are not to everyones taste, but up close they are remarkable little creatures. I managed to capture another series of flies making more flies today, similar to yours. They will be posted shortly, tomorrow ( today) will be Bees.
I have spent hours trying to catch Hoverflies in flight, still waiting for "The" shot, but other people on here have achieved it.
@markp So they are called "hover flies" and it can be done! I think that it is going to take a good bunch of luck, too. Nice to have a goal. Yes, and flies are so complex when you get up close to them... they have so much weird stuff attached to them... not sure if its "left overs" or weird body parts, lol.
@stefneyhart This isn't a Hover Fly, Hover Flies mimic bees and wasp's to avoid being eaten. They are probably the ones you see sitting stationary in the air like a helicopter or drone. They look easy to photograph don't they? Just hanging there for you to shoot. No. They will drive you mad.
Re the weird body parts they are all there for a reason. If you look closely at the fly above, spot the little yellow spot, just by the third leg, beneath the wing ? This is called a Haltere, and was formerly a second wing. It is used like a counter balance to the main wings and in flight is flapped very fast. It helps the fly manoeuvre and saves energy as the fly is only using one big wing. Apparently if you remove one of these Halteres, the fly will fly around in circles.
Welcome to the amazing world of bugs.
May 3rd, 2016
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I have spent hours trying to catch Hoverflies in flight, still waiting for "The" shot, but other people on here have achieved it.
Re the weird body parts they are all there for a reason. If you look closely at the fly above, spot the little yellow spot, just by the third leg, beneath the wing ? This is called a Haltere, and was formerly a second wing. It is used like a counter balance to the main wings and in flight is flapped very fast. It helps the fly manoeuvre and saves energy as the fly is only using one big wing. Apparently if you remove one of these Halteres, the fly will fly around in circles.
Welcome to the amazing world of bugs.