Eristalis hirta

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Eristalis hirta
Eristalis hirta.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Syrphidae
Genus: Eristalis
Species:
E. hirta
Binomial name
Eristalis hirta
(Loew, 1866)
Synonyms [1]
  • Eristalis alpha Hull, 1925
  • Eristalis beta Hull, 1925
  • Eristalis hirtus Loew, 1866
  • Eristalis temporalis Thomson, 1869

Eristalis hirta, the black-footed drone fly, is a common Western North American species of syrphid fly, first officially described by Loew in 1866. [2] Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies as they are commonly found on and around flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are aquatic filter-feeders of the rat-tailed type. [3] [4] [1] [5] [6]

Contents

Distribution

This species is found in Western North America and Northern Europe in raised bogs, ditches and temporary pools. [7]

Description

For terms see Morphology of Diptera

Size
Length: 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in)
Frontal view Eristalis hirta, head view.jpg
Frontal view
Head

The frons are a shiny black with light brownish yellow pile. The face and frons of female is unusually broad. The pile of the face is light brownish yellow except the facial stripe (tubercle) and the cheeks which are a shiny black. The antennae are very dark brownish black. The arista is slightly plumose basally. The eyes are contiguous only in males.

Thorax

The thorax is dark, shiny, brownish black with yellowish pile. The scutellum is lighter Brownish and shiny. The pleurae are covered with pale yellow pile.

Legs

The legs are black and yellow. The front and middle femora are black with pale yellow apices and the hind femur bases and apices are yellow. The front and hind tibia are black, with the basal half or more pale yellow and middle tibia mostly pale yellow. The tarsi are all black except the middle leg basitarsi, which are yellow.

Abdomen

The abdomen is black with yellow bands and spots. The second segment has a large, sharply marked, yellow orange spots on the sides, widely separated by opaque black medially. The light yellow posterior marginal bands of the second third and fourth segments are unusually prominent. Segments three and four are shiny black, with yellow bands posteriorly.

Wings

The wings are hyaline, or very faintly infuscated in the middle and anterior half. The pterostigma (pt) is small. Veination: spurious vein (sv), looping of R4+5 into r4+5, closed cell r2+3. [8] [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Eristalis cryptarum</i> Species of fly

Eristalis cryptarum is a holarctic species of hoverfly. Known as the bog hoverfly or bog-dwelling drone fly, it is a bog specialist but may occur in other wetlands. Its larvae are assumed to live in peat that is saturated with water, such as that found in these boggy areas. The female has been observed depositing eggs on and close to very fresh cow dung along oligotrophic seepages in moorland.

<i>Chrysotoxum pubescens</i> Species of fly

Chrysotoxum pubescens the Yellow-throated Meadow Fly is a North American species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae.The adults are strong mimics of wasps. Larvae of this species has been described.

<i>Eristalis flavipes</i> Species of fly

Eristalis flavipes, the orange-legged drone fly, is a species of hoverfly native to North America. It flies from early April to mid-October, and occurs in a wide variety of habitats, particularly wetlands. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are aquatic filter-feeders of the rat-tailed type.

<i>Eristalis transversa</i> Species of fly

Eristalis transversa, the transverse banded drone fly, is a common species of syrphid fly first officially described by Wiedemann in 1830. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are rat-tailed type but larvae of this specific species has not been reported.

<i>Blera badia</i> Species of fly

Blera badia, the Common Wood Fly, is a common species of syrphid fly first officially described by Walker in 1849. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies, for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are of the rat-tailed type, feeding on exuding sap or in the rot holes of trees.

<i>Eristalis bellardii</i> Species of fly

Eristalis bellardii, the Mexican mountain drone fly, is an uncommon species of syrphid fly first officially described by Jaennicke in 1867. It is infrequently found in the Southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America. In appearance it is somewhat like that of a honeybee. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen.

<i>Blera umbratilis</i> Species of fly

Blera umbratilis, the Hairy Wood Fly, is an uncommon species of syrphid fly first officially described by Williston in 1887. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are of the rat-tailed type, feeding on exuding sap or in the rot holes of trees.

<i>Sericomyia bifasciata</i> Species of fly


Sericomyia bifasciata, the Long-nosed Pond Fly, is an uncommon species of syrphid fly. They have been observed from the northeastern part of North America. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae in the genus Sericomyia are known as the rat-tailed with a long breathing tube taylored for aquatic environments. The larvae for this species are unknown.

<i>Palpada agrorum</i> Species of fly

Palpada agrorum, the Double-banded Plushback, is a common species of syrphid fly first officially described by Fabricius in 1787. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are aquatic filter feeders of the rat-tailed type.

<i>Brachyopa daeckei</i> Species of fly

Brachyopa daeckei, the black-tailed sapeater, is a rare species of syrphid fly that has been observed in northeastern North America. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. Larvae for this genus are of the rat-tailed type. B.daeckei larvae have not been described.

<i>Blera confusa</i> Species of fly

'Blera confusa , the confusing Wood Fly, is a common species of syrphid fly first officially described by Johnson, 1913 Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are of the rat-tailed type feeding on exuding sap or in the rot holes of trees.

<i>Blera robusta</i> Species of fly

Blera robusta, the Greenish Wood Fly, is a rare species of syrphid fly first officially described by Curran in 1922. Hoverflies get this name from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies, for they are commonly found around and on the flowers from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein rich pollen. The larvae are of the rat-tailed type, feeding on exuding sap or in the rot holes of trees.

<i>Blera humeralis</i> Species of fly

Blera humeralis, the Yellow-legged wood fly, is an uncommon species of syrphid fly officially described by Samuel Wendell Williston in 1882. Hoverflies are so-named for the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are known as flower flies, as they are commonly found around and on flowers from which they get energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are of the rat-tailed type, feeding on exuding sap or in the rot holes of trees.

Blera analis, the Orange-tailed wood fly, is an uncommon species of syrphid fly. It was officially described by Macquart, 1842. Hoverflies get their names from their ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are of the rat-tailed type feeding on exuding sap or in the rot holes of trees.

<i>Helophilus obscurus</i> Species of fly

Helophilus obscurus , the Obscure Marsh Fly, is a common species of syrphid fly observed throughout Canada and the northern United States and Rocky Mountains. Hoverflies can remain nearly motionless in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae of this genus are associated with wet decaying organic material, particularly accumulations of decaying vegetation in ponds and mud and farmyard manure or silage the larvae of this species are not known.

<i>Blera scitula</i> Species of fly

Blera scitula, the Western Wood Fly, is an uncommon species of syrphid fly first officially described by Williston in 1882. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies, for they are commonly found around and on the flowers from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae of Blera are of the rat-tailed type, feeding on exuding sap or in the rot holes of trees.

'Blera metcalfi , Metcalf's wood fly, is a rare species of syrphid fly first officially described by Curran in 1925 Hoverflies get their name from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein rich pollen. The larvae are of the rat-tailed type feeding on exuding sap or in the rot holes of trees.

<i>Brachyopa caesariata</i> Species of fly

Brachyopa caesariata, the Plain-winged Sapeater, is an uncommon species of syrphid fly. It has been observed in Canada, Alaska and northern United States. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. Larvae for this genus are of the rat-tailed type. B.caesariata larvae have not been described.

<i>Brachyopa cinereovittata</i> Species of fly

Brachyopa cinereovittata, the Grey-striped Sapeater, is a rare species of syrphid fly. It has been observed in northwestern North America. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. Larvae for this genus are of the rat-tailed type. B.cinereovittata larvae have not been described.

<i>Eristalis brousii</i> Species of fly

Eristalis brousii, also called the hourglass drone fly or flower fly, is a species of syrphid fly largely eliminated in most of its former range except in northern Canada. It was first officially described by Williston in 1882. The cognomen "flower fly" derives from the fact that the flies are commonly found on and surrounding flowers from which they source energy-restoring nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are aquatic filter-feeders of the rat-tailed sort.

References

  1. 1 2 "Eristalis hirta Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
  2. Osten-Sacken, Carl Robert (1877). Western Diptera : descriptions of new genera and species of Diptera from the region west of the Mississippi and especially from California. Washington: Smithsonian Institution. p. 354.
  3. Rotheray, G.E. (1993). "Colour Guide to Hoverfly Larvae (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Britain and Europe" (PDF). Diperists Digest. 9: 155.
  4. Speight, M.C.D. (2011) Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera), Glasgow2011. Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae, vol. 65, 285 pp., Syrph the Net publications, Dublin.
  5. "Eristalis hirta". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
  6. Skevington, Jeffrey H (2019). Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America. ISBN   9780691189406.
  7. Hull, Frank Montgomery (1925). "A Review of the Genus Eristalis Latreille in North America. Part II". The Ohio Journal of Science. 25: 11–45. hdl:1811/2257.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  8. Williston, S.W. (1887). "Synopsis of the North American Syrphidae". Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 31: 1–335.

Further reading

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external images of E. hirta