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Hoverfly; Mosca cernidora

Volucella elegans

Photo by arlanda
Published on Project Noah
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40.8241, -3.96016

Field Notes

Description:

Female. Looks like a bee or a wasp but it is a fly. In spite of its colours it has no sting and no poison. It is a fly disguised as a wasp!

Volucella is a genus of large, broad-bodied hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristas and the face is extended downward. The black mark that can be seen on the middle of the wings distinguish V. elegans from the very similar V. inanis

They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and are often seen sunning on leaves. The larvae of most species live in nests of bumblebees and social wasps, where they are detritivores and larval predators

Habitat:

Alpine meadow. Parque Nacional de Sierra de Guadarrama. Peñalara

Notes:

Camera Model: NIKON D300. Exposure Time: 1/500 sec.; f/11; ISO Speed Rating: 800. Focal Length: 300.0 mm.

Species ID Suggestions

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