The earliest recognisable description of Acanthocephala – a worm with a proboscis armed with hooks – was made by Italian author Francesco Redi (1684).
To ensure the fertilization, their morphology is well adapted to the proboscis of Lepidoptera, especially Euphydryas, Melanargia, Melitaea, Pieris and Zygaena species.
The fly attacks its prey by stabbing it with its short, strong proboscis injecting the victim with saliva containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes which very rapidly paralyze the victim and soon digest the insides; the fly then sucks the liquefied material through the proboscis.
It is very similar to Brachodes candefactus, but can be distinguished by the wider wingspan, the presence of a developed proboscis, the longer tooth-like processes of the antennal segments and the smaller beige-yellow marking on the hindwing underside.
Very rare in North America, it is the only insect in the continent with a long enough proboscis to pollinate the similarly rare Ghost Orchid.
The long-spurred Neobathiea grandidierana from Madagascar is pollinated by a long-tongued sphinginid hawkmoth Panogena lingens with the pollinaria deposited on the basal part of the proboscis of the moth.
The team's primary logo consists of a mosquito flying over a Texas contour with its proboscis marking Fort Bend County.