Volucella inflata

Volucella inflata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Syrphidae
Genus: Volucella
Species: V. inflata
Binomial name
Volucella inflata
(Fabricius, 1794)
Synonyms

Volucella inflata is a large species of European hoverfly.[1]

Contents

Description

V. inflata is a large, short haired fly. Thought a little smaller than most European species of Volucella, Typical body length is 12-15mm and wing length is 11-13mm. The thorax is black with orange margins, and the scutellum is orange with light coloured hairs at the apex. The abdomen is largely black, with the exception of dark orange brown patches on the second tergite.[2]

Biology

It is found mostly in deciduous forests with mature trees, though has been known to venture into domestic gardens Adults fly from May to July and feed on nectar from flowers, mostly from umbellifers. Larvae inhabit social insect nests.[2]

Distribution

This fly is very local over much of Europe, being found from Sweden and Northern Germany, the Pyrenees and northern Spain, Britain, eastwards through Central Europe into European Russia and the Caucasus. And the former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.[2]

References

  1. ^ Stubbs, Alan E. and Falk, Steven J. (1983). British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide. British Entomological & Natural History Society. p. 253, xvpp. ISBN 0950289140. 
  2. ^ a b c Z. Nedeljkovic, A. Vujic, S. Radenkovic, And S. Simic (2003). "The Genus Volucella Geoffroy, 1764 (Diptera: Syrphidae) On The Balkan Peninsula" (PDF). Acta entomologica serbica (Serbia) 8 (1): 41–55. http://www.bio.bg.ac.rs/EDS/aes/Vol8/03n.pdf.