Xaviar came in at the end with Zenon. Xaviar looks like a cartoon fly with an enlarged abdomen and snout-like mouth parts. The wings have an interesting white pattern on the dark.
The DNA sequence results indicated that Xaviar is a Picture-Winged Fly of the species Delphinia picta (EOL).
Jigsaw was a small reddish fly. He looked like a red version of Gruncle and Jigsaw was the next name on the list, so he became JigsawRG. The students thought it the red was a sexual dimorphism. It wasn’t until examining Jigsaw under the microscope that we noticed some differences in shape.
It turns out that Jigsaw and Gruncle were indeed related. Both are Long-Legged Flies of the Order of true flies (Diptera) and in the Family Dolichopodidae. While Gruncle was ambiguously identified at the level of Family, Jigsaw’s DNA barcode reveals an identification at the Genus level (Condylostylus). This fly is a predator on smaller arthropods, like mites and fleas. Good to have around!
Hitler’s Mustache was found dead on the desk of the Biology Chair. He looks like a hairy moth.
DNA revealed that Hitler’s Mustache was a Drain Fly in the Family Psychodidae. After discovering this, comparison of images points to him being a Clogmia albipunctata or Moth Fly/Moth Midge. The larvae are usually found in bathroom drains, hence the name Drain Fly. While they look like moths, they are true flies in the Order Diptera.
Gruncle is a small metallic green fly with long yellow legs and large green eyes. Black markings are near the tips of the transparent wings.
Gruncle is a Long-legged Fly in the Order of “true flies” (Diptera) and ambiguously identified in the Family of Dolichopodidae. Nothing further can be identified from the DNA sequence of COI. The coloration and wing markings make it seem like a Green Long-Legged Fly (Austrosciapus connexus) but this does not pan out since that fly is native to Australia. Using reference images at BugGuide, it would appeear that Gruncle is of the Condylostylus sipho group, which are located in the Northeast.
The students excitedly came in after catching this fly. “It has a massive stinger on it!” one said. I explained that it didn’t look like a stinger and that it was probably an ovipositor, making it a female insect.
Billy Bob Bart ended up being a Robber fly called Efferia aestuans (EOL). Robber flies (or assassin flies) are notorious for predating other insects. They ambush from below to take them out in the air while flying. These are good to have around since they take out the nuisance species.
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