Bee-mimicking Hover Fly
S14, Male, Antennae
Bee-mimicking Hover Fly
S14, Male, Abdomen
| Bee-mimicking Hover Fly S14, Male, Antennae | | Bee-mimicking Hover Fly S14, Male, Abdomen | | ||
 | Class: | Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta) | |||
| Order: | Flies (Diptera) | ||||
| Family: | Hover Fly (Syrphidae) iNaturalist Observation | ||||
| Species: | Bee-mimicking Hover Fly (Eristalis tenax) | ||||
| This Photo: | 🔍S10, Female, Haltere🔎 | ||||
| Other name: | Common Drone Fly | ||||
Thank you Tony Daley for confirming the id of this species for us General Species Information: Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA), the Adelaide Hills and elsewhere ~13.5 to ~15.5mm long; males slightly smaller than females or about the same length. Like many flies, the eye's touch at the top with males and are well separated with females. The wing venation is the same. Generally males have more orange in their abdomen, where as females are blacker; but this is variable and can't be relied upon. Initially, not realising these were introduced, we couldn't understand how they mimicked European Honey-bees so well. Then the light goes on in the brain "Ah, they're introduced as well, no wonder they can mimic an introduced species" Notice the very hairy eyes, probably an adaptation to their native colder climate. All flies (Diptera) have 2 wings and halteres (which are modified structures from their original hind wings). Sometimes halteres are easy to spot, with stouter flies like these it's not as easy. We managed to catch a shot of one here. | |||||
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