A long-legged fly perches on Jason Hill’s deck. / © Jason Hill
Congratulations to Jason Hill for winning the July 2016 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. The image of a Long-legged Fly (Dolichopodidae) was the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’. Just 4 mm long, Jason captured a closeup of this amazing insect as it perched on his deck railing. Why the long legs? It might be from sexual selection. Males conduct an elaborate courtship display of their legs to entice a female. Most species are predatory on small arthropods, though some may scavenge or act as kleptoparasites of spiders and other predators.
Visit iNaturalist Vermont, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life, and you can vote for the winner this month by clicking ‘fav’ on your favorite photo-observation. Make sure you get outdoors and record the biodiversity around you and submit your discoveries and you could be a winner this month!
The long legs of the Long-legged Fly. / © Jason Hill
