| Mallota bautias | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Syrphidae |
| Genus: | Mallota |
| Species: | M. bautias |
| Binomial name | |
| Mallota bautias (Walker, 1849) | |
Mallota bautias is a species of hoverfly (Diptera: Syrphidae). It is known for being particularly bee-like. It is found in eastern North America. [1]
Hover flies, also called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the larvae (maggots) eat a wide range of foods. In some species, the larvae are saprotrophs, eating decaying plant and animal matter in the soil or in ponds and streams. In other species, the larvae are insectivores and prey on aphids, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects.
Mallota is a widely distributed Holarctic genus of hoverfly, well known for their bee-like appearance.
Eristalinae are one of the four subfamilies of the fly family Syrphidae, or hoverflies. A well-known species included in this subfamily is the dronefly, Eristalis tenax.
Xylota is a Holarctic genus of hoverflies similar in structure to the related genera Chalcosyrphus and Brachypalpoides. As the larvae are saprophytic they're usually found in rotting wood. The adult flies are generally associated with woodland and woodland edges and can often be seen running over the upper sides of leaves. Unlike other syrphids the adults of many species rarely visit flowers preferring instead to gather pollen from leaf surfaces. There are over 100 described species of which 12 can be found in Europe. Seven species have been recorded in Britain. Identification of species has been difficult and identifiction by photographs is risky.
Merodon equestris is a Holarctic species of hoverfly. Like many other hoverflies it displays a colouration pattern similar to a stinging insect as an evolutionary defense mechanism. Other syrphid bee mimics are Mallota, Arctophila, Criorhina, Pocota and Brachypalpus. Merodon species are distinguished from these by the very strong hind femora, which bear a large triangular projection on the underside near the tip. It flies in low vegetation while the other bumblebee mimics prefer higher vegetation layers.
Criorhina berberina is a species of hoverfly. It is found in the Palaearctic from Fennoscandia South to Iberia and Italy. Ireland eastwards through Europe into Turkey and European Russia . C. berberina is a bumblebee mimic. The body has uniformly long dense pubescence, obscuring the ground-colour. There are two forms one with the pubescence more or less extensively blackish, one in which it is entirely yellow or tawny. Criorhina differ from other bumblebee mimics - Mallota, Arctophila, Pocota and Brachypalpus by the form of their antennae: the first segments are thin and form a stalk, the third segment is shorter than it is wide. In Criorhina, the face projects downwards, in contrast to Pocota and Brachypalpus.
Chalcosyrphus is a genus of hoverflies in the subfamily Eristalinae. Many species exhibit some degree of mimicry of various sawflies and other hymenopterans and are often brightly coloured or metallic in hue. The adults are similar in structure and behavior to the related genus Xylota but differ in larval morphology. They can be found throughout Europe, Asia, and North America and seem to prefer damper, boggy habitats. The larvae are saproxylic feeders in rotten wood in these habitats.
Lejops is a genus of hoverflies, closely related to the genera Helophilus, Quichuana and Mallota.
The Brachyopini is a tribe of hoverflies. Unlike many members of this family these flies are generally darker and less colourful though some genera contain species with an attractive metallic lustre e.g. Chrysogaster. Some like Brachyopa are associated with sap runs where their larvae feed on decaying sap. Others are found in boggy areas where their often semiaquatic larvae feed on decaying organic matter.
Eristalini is a tribe of hoverflies. Several species are well-known honeybee mimics, such as the drone fly Eristalis tenax, while other genera such as Helophilus and Parhelophilus exhibit wasp-like patterns of yellow and black stripes, both strategies to avoid predation by visual predators such as birds.
Criorhina floccosa, is a species of hoverfly. It is found in many parts of the Palearctic including Europe.
Criorhina ranunculi, is a species of hoverfly found in the spring in many parts of Britain and Europe.
Mallota sackeni is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae.
Mallota bequaerti is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae.
Mallota posticata is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae.
Mallota cimbiciformis is a Palearctic hoverfly.
Helophilina is a subtribe of rat-tail maggot flies in the family Syrphidae. There are about 19 genera and more than 180 described species in Helophilina.
Total of 245 species either found or highly expected to be found in New York.
