Alice Springs Desert Park
ASDP DipteraBee Fly (Tolkunia hibisci) Bee Fly (Ligyra cingulata)
Previously described as Australiphthiria, these bee flies have been identified as Tolkunia hibisci (Micro Bee Fly, family Mythicomyiidae) on Sturt’s Desert Rose (Gossypium sturtianum var. sturtianum).
These small insects have been photographed here enjoying the nectar of the flowering Australian Desert Rose (Gossypium australe), in the the Alice Springs Desert Park.
This species Tolkunia hibisci are often found on the flowering genus Gossypium, including the Australian Desert Rose (Gossypium australe) (pictured here), Sturt’s Desert Rose (Gossyipium sturtianum var. sturtianum) and the Bush Hibiscus (Radyera farragei).
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Subclass: Pterygota
- Order: Diptera
- Suborder: Brachycera
- Infraorder: Orthorrhapha
- Superfamily: Asiloidea
- Family: Mythicomyiidae
- Subfamily: Psiloderoidinae
- Genus: Tolkunia
- Species: Tolkunia hibisci
Footnote & References
- Tolkunia hibisci, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/1602273-Tolkunia-hibisci
- Tolkunia hibisci, ausemade, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/107031061
replacing ID genus Australiphthiria, ausemade, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/109521160
ASDP DipteraBee Fly (Tolkunia hibisci) Bee Fly (Ligyra cingulata)
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