Eristalis nemorum

{{Short description|Species of fly}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Drone fly hoverfly (Eristalis interruptus) female.jpg

| image_caption = female

| taxon = Eristalis nemorum

| authority = (Linnaeus, 1758)

| synonyms = *Musca nemorum Linnaeus, 1758

  • Conops interruptus Poda, 1761
  • Eristalis interrupta (Poda, 1761)
  • Musca lineolae Harris, 1776
  • Eristalis lineolae (Harris, 1776){{cite book|author1=Stubbs, Alan E. |author2=Falk, Steven J.|year=1983 |title=British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide|pages=253, xvpp |publisher=British Entomological & Natural History Society}}

}}

Eristalis nemorum is a species of hoverfly. It is found in the Palearctic (Fennoscandia South to Iberia, the Balkans and Italy, Ireland eastwards through Central Europe into Turkey and Russia and on into the Russian Far East, Siberia and Japan) and in the Nearctic (Quebec south to Colorado).{{Cite web |url=http://www.fauna-eu.org/ |title=Fauna Europaea |access-date=2017-01-17 |archive-date=2018-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830205314/https://fauna-eu.org/ |url-status=dead }}Peck, L.V. (1988) Syrphidae. In: Soos, A. & Papp, L. (eds.) Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, 8: 11–230. Akad. Kiado, Budapest.{{cite journal | last = Speight | first = M.C.D. | year = 2011 | title = Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera)| journal = Syrph the Net, the Database of European Syrphidae | volume = 65 | pages = 285pp | url= http://www.diptera.info/downloads/StN_Species_Accounts_Glasgow_2011.pdf }}

Technical description

[http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=48290 External images]

For terms, see: Morphology of Diptera.

Wing length: {{cvt|8.25|-|10.5|mm}}. All tarsi are extensively black. Body-hairs are short. Arista plumose basal half. Densely dusted face has a black shining stripe. Hind femora are black in male. Wings are hyaline with quadrate brownish pterostigma (basal to merge of vein sc with costa). Body is yellow-haired. Hind metatarsi are darkened.Van Veen, M. (2004). Hoverflies of Northwest Europe: identification keys to the Syrphidae. 256pp. KNNV Publishing, Utrecht.[http://home.hccnet.nl/mp.van.veen/syrphidae/boekhoverflies.html addendum]Van der Goot, V.S. (1981). De zweefvliegen van Noordwest-Europa en Europees Rusland, in het bijzonder van de Benelux. KNNV, Uitgave no. 32: 275pp. Amsterdam.Bei-Bienko, G.Y. & Steyskal, G.C. (1988). Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSR, Volume V: Diptera and Siphonaptera, Part I. Amerind Publishing Co., New Delhi. {{ISBN|81-205-0080-6}}.Coe, R.L. (1953). "Diptera: Syrphidae". Handbks.ident.Br.insects, 10(1): 1-98. R. ent. Soc. London. [http://www.royensoc.co.uk/sites/default/files/Vol10_Part01.pdf pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004053056/https://www.royensoc.co.uk/sites/default/files/Vol10_Part01.pdf |date=2018-10-04 }}

The male genitalia are figured by Hippa et al. (2001).Hippa, H., Nielsen, T.R. & van Steenis, J. (2001) The west Palaearctic species of the genus Eristalis Latreille (Diptera, Surphidae). Norw. J. Entomol. 48: 289–327. The larva is figured by Hartley (1961).Hartley, J.C. (1961) A taxonomic account of the larvae of some British Syrphidae. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 136: 505–573.

Biology

The larvae are aquatic, and of the Rat-tailed maggot type. Adults are often seen visiting flowers. Flight period in the United Kingdom is from April to October, peaking around July and August. The males show a characteristic courtship display, hovering above a foraging female for minutes.Wijngaard W (2010). "Accuracy of insect position control as revealed by hovering male". Eristalis nemorum. Proc. Neth. Entomol. Soc. Meet. 21. pp. 75–84.[http://insect-behavior.nl/images/stories/Proceedings_NEV_075-084-Wijngaard-2010.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223183801/http://insect-behavior.nl/images/stories/Proceedings_NEV_075-084-Wijngaard-2010.pdf|date=2017-02-23}} File:Animation 090831 1656 mnvr.gif

When many males are present two or more males may hover above one female. File:St Michielsgestel Beekse Loop Dommel Eristalis nemorum mn2 vr 040712 1631 Part.JPG

Adult habitat is streamsides, fen meadow and poorly-drained pasture. Flowers visited include yellow composites, umbellifers, Cakile, Calluna vulgaris, Caltha, Cardamine, Cirsium, Crataegus, Eupatorium, Euphorbia, Filipendula, Malus, Menyanthes, Mentha, Parnassia, Prunus, Ranunculus, Rubus fruticosus, Salix, Sorbus, Succisa.de Buck, N. (1990). "Bloembezoek en bestuivingsecologie van Zweefvliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) in het bijzonder voor België". Doc.Trav. IRSNB, no. 60, pp. 1–167.

References