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Reviewing my photographs from last April from Mississippi (far South of the USA) I came across my Pyrgotid images. Now I am starting to wonder, do I have two different species here?

These were attracted to lights, 14 April 2006.

I will post the two flies first, then some detailed views. I think Fly #1 is Pyrgota undata.

Comments appreciated. Two different species? Both female? Steyskal says in Pyrgotidae the abdomen is usually elongated, and that in females "segment 7 sometimes longer than rest of abdomen."

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Fly #2. Different species?

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Here are the abdomens compared, Fly #1 and Fly #2.

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The heads compared.

What on earth is going on with Fly #2 and what appear to be doubled antennae? I thought perhaps there was a second fly under the top one and that they were mating, but if so that second fly doesn't show. Or is this simply a species that has this bizarre doubled antenna?

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For Fly#2 you have a different angle on the head so that you can see the mouthparts. That is what looks like the second pair of antennae - the mouthparts with the paired maxillary palpi.

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Ah, that explains the mouthparts question, thanks, Steve! The angle was really the same for the two photos, so Fly #2 must have been extending his mouthparts forward for some reason while Fly #1 wasn't.