Volucella inflata
{{Short description|Species of fly}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Volucella fg05.jpg
| taxon = Volucella inflata
| authority = (Fabricius, 1794)
| synonyms = *Syrphus inflata Fabricius, 1794
}}
Volucella inflata is a large species of European hoverfly.{{cite book|author1=Stubbs, Alan E. |author2=Falk, Steven J. |name-list-style=amp |year=1983 |title=British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide |publisher=British Entomological & Natural History Society|page=253, xvpp|isbn=0-9502891-4-0}}
Description
V. inflata is a large, short-haired fly. Though a little smaller than most European species of Volucella, typical body length is 12–15 mm and wing length is 11–13 mm. The thorax is black with orange margins, and the scutellum is orange with light-coloured hairs at the apex. The abdomen is largely black, with the exception of dark orange brown patches on the second tergite.{{cite journal |author1=Z. Nedeljkovic |author2=A. Vujic |author3=S. Radenkovic |author4=And S. Simic |year= 2003|title= The Genus Volucella Geoffroy, 1764 (Diptera: Syrphidae) On The Balkan Peninsula|journal= Acta Entomologica Serbica|volume= 8|issue= 1|pages= 41–55|location= Serbia|url= http://www.bio.bg.ac.rs/EDS/aes/Vol8/03n.pdf }}
Biology
It is found mostly in deciduous forests with mature trees, though has been known to venture into domestic gardens. Adults fly from May to July and feed on nectar from flowers, mostly from umbellifers. Larvae inhabit social insect nests.
Distribution
References
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