Large Banded Bee Fly
S3, dorsal
Ellura
Large Banded Bee Fly
S6, dorsal
 
                      
Large Banded Bee Fly (Ligyra cingulata)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Flies (Diptera)
Family: Bee Fly (Bombyliidae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Large Banded Bee Fly (Ligyra cingulata)
This Photo:     🔍S4, Male, dorsal🔎

Thank you Graeme Cocks†, Tony Daley & Dr Chris Lambkin for confirming the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere
1st Live Photo on-line:
They are a large fly at ~14mm-17mm long, wing length ~16mm-18mm; giving a wingspan of ~36mm-40mm.
Males & females separated here from ventral view of the posterior. Chris was hypothesising that females had an extra wing spot. But S4 breaks this theory.
Chris said "variation of colour may be because of different environmental conditions under which the immatures develop, so that darker patterns result from colder developmental conditions"
She also said "Extra i-r crossvein creates square cell at end of wing = Ligyra", compared to Balaana .

Copyright © 2021-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 27-Feb-2021
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.