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| Themara maculipennis Westwood 1848 (ID credit: Dr Valery Korneyev)
This hammer-headed tephritid is not to be confused with the Stalk-eyed Fly of Diopsidae family where its antennas are located at the stalks near the compound eyes. Also, this should not be referred to as fruit fly, since not all Tephritid eat fruits, as pointed out by Dr Korneyev. This unique fly belongs to the Tephritidae family, Phytalmiinae subfamily, Acanthonevrini tribe.
Based on my observation, several of these, males and females, were found on the bark of a dead and damped log on the ground, in a lowland rain-forest, Selangor, Malaysia. The males would confront another male, chase the other away, and claim its territory.
In order to photograph them, you have to approach slowly and quietly. Sudden movement, noise or even flash light could scare them away. If it flies away, stay at where you are and wait for them to return. Sometimes, the fly shows an extreme quick reflex to the flash light. You may capture just be background without the fly on the photograph. If this is the case, use manual flash power or turn off i-TTL.
The following is an identification key for Tephritidae:
"The shape of the subcosta (bent sharply forward subapically and usually weaker or foldlike beyond the bend) has generally been considered the best diagnositic character for adult fruit flies, but its form varies and in some taxa, especially many species with elongate wings, it is not as sharply bent (e.g., Toxotrypana, many Phytalmiini), and in species of Tachiniscinae it is not as weak distal to the bend."
-http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/diptera/tephriti/TephRecg.htm
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Tephritid Identification Key
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