Photo of the Week: Signal Fly

This photo of the week was taken behind my apartment in Durham, North Carolina, on August 3rd 2013. I used a Canon T3i attached to a Canon 100mm macro lens, plus a speedlite on a light-stand.

This photo is of a signal fly, Platystomatidae rivellia. According to Bugguide.net, the name of this fly comes from the fact that the wings are in almost constant motion, as though giving signals. This is a small fly, with a range of body length 3-12 mm. The larvae of this fly grows on decaying vegetation.