That's actually a very good guess
comparing this: https://idtools.org/bactrocera/images/thumbnails/LLplate_Dacus_longicornis_variation.jpg
with this: https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/3ac57fca-a801-48ce-94a5-7d7e369c860b.jpeg
The colors in my picture are more yellow but that's it as far as I can see.
Also the fact its a luffa pest checks out.
Any reason why you think they are not the same?
very similar but it doesn't have the elongated thin waist
Yes, they are called halteres, just learned this today. Closest I could find was Dacus longicornis
I think the little vestigial wings mean it's a fly, right? Wasps should have another functional pair of wings instead. Sometimes it's hard to tell but I only see 2 here.
Flies have very distinct eyes. I don't see those here. Mine was more of an example than an exact match.
To me they look very different:
There is already a fruitfly species that is very similar to my photos called pumpkin fruitfly but it's not an exact match
Some might say that that is exactly what the internet is even for...
New to the internet? A large portion of folk here seem to be thinking about non-human animals and sexual reproduction as well for some reason.
Yes, I understand that Sasha is a fantastic educator.
My point was mainly that given the internet being the internet, if you allow NSFW shit soon you'll be drowning in people with personality disorders asking about the anatomical accuracy of the anthropomorphized cartoon animals the either think they are or want to have sex with. Tis a silly place.
my favorite part of every porno is when they have in-depth clinical discussions about the activities they're engaged in with proper anatomical vocabulary. I'll never forget how hard I busted when Sasha Grey said "the combination of your glans stimulating my GrΓ€fenberg spot and digital stimulation of my clitoris is causing a release of lubricating fluid from my vestibular glands, both Skene's and Bartholin's."
80% of the Internet is examples of the steps of sexual reproduction already.
Go on one of the NSFW instances for that.
Probably not worth the headache. With so little moderation it's easier to just say blanket no.
Completely depends on the animal. Many herbivores eat nearly continuously but carnivorous animals with low metabolisms like deep sea fish or snakes may not eat for months at a time. As warm-blooded omnivores we tend to eat fairly frequently but we're still between those two poles.
In general it's less about frequency than about overall food intake. Carnivores by nature of the difficulty of catching prey are more feast or famine. But again, it all depends on the exact species in question.
Honeydew or plant excretion to heal cuts. Could be sweet enough for the ants to notice. Maybe the plant is doing it on purpose to get protection from the ants?
If they are damaging the climbing plant then they must be doing it realllly slow because they've been there for days and no significant damage to the leaves.
If anything I am sharp decline in caterpillars feeding on the plant though I can't tell if its because of the ants or because I am so good at picking them up
Sometimes if ants have a favourite tree with aphids, they will protect the tree from climbing vines and competition.
Are they interacting with the plant, or just chilling on there?
Ok, maybe they just need cleaning supplies?
/s
But yeah, probably the same thing, it's a plant that grows massive vegetables. All sorts of wildlife are drawn to plants that grow food, even if there's no food yet.
yes that was my first guess but as you said no aphid
Its a lufa plant
Grape vine.
There's no grapes yet, but the hive is likely close because eventually, there's gonna be some grapes.
I was going to say farming but i dont see aphids or any other farmed insect.
