Myathropa florea

Myathropa florea
Myathropa florea male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Syrphidae
Genus:	Myathropa
Species:	E. florea
Binomial name
Myathropa florea (Linnaeus 1758)
Synonyms
Musca florea Linnaeus 1758 Musca ablecta Harris, 1776 Myathropa ablecta (Harris, 1776)[1]

Myathropa florea feeding on flowers (video, 44s)

Myathropa florea is a very common European and North African species of hoverfly. Adults may be seen on flowers from May to September. It is of similar size as the drone fly, but living Myathropa are generally more yellow, with two light bands to the thorax, interrupted with a black central smudge. In museum specimens, any yellow colour soon fades to brown after death. Like most Eristaliini, Myathropa are rather variable in size, shape and colour.

Larvae feed on bacteria in organic waterlogged detritus, often in the shallow rot holes of tree stumps.

References

1. ^ Stubbs, Alan E. and Falk, Steven J. (1983). British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide. British Entomological & Natural History Society. pp. 253, xvpp.