Brown Signal Fly - ? Euxestomoea sp.

Family Platystomatidae

This page contains pictures and information about Brown Signal Flies that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Body length 8mm

We saw those flies near Bulimba Creek in Wishart on early summer Oct 2007. There were a number of them there on a large tree trunk.



Some of them were courting. The courting pair were facing each other, sometimes with tongue touching.



Male and female are a little bit different. They were dark brown in colour with brown patterns on wings.



A close up of their long tongue.



Near those flies we found a batch of insect eggs. Could they be the eggs of those flies? We are not sure. Just leave the photo here for further study.



After a few days (still Oct 2007), we also saw those flies in Karawatha Forest. They seem quite common in this time of the year, but not seen at other time.

Reference:
1. Review of the Australasian Genera of Signal Flies (Diptera: Platystomatidae) - DAVID K. MCALPINE, Australian Museum, 2001