Eristalinae

Eristalinae (or Milesiinae) are one of the four subfamilies of the fly family Syrphidae, or hoverflies. A well-known species included in this subfamily is the common drone fly, Eristalis tenax.^[1][2][3]

Eristalinae
Volucella zonaria ♀ specimen, dorsal perspective
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Syrphidae
Subfamily:	Eristalinae
Tribes
See text
Synonyms
Cheilosiinae (Williston) Wirth & Stone, 1956 Cheilosinae (Williston) Curran, 1928 Chilosiinae (Williston) Malloch, 1922 Chilosinae Williston, 1885 Eristaliinae (Newman) Malloch, 1922 Eristalina (Newman) Rondani, 1856 Eristalinae (Newman) Rondani, 1857 Eristalites Newman, 1834 Eristaliti (Newman) Lioy, 1864 Eristilinae (Newman) Shannon, 1922

Species in this subfamily are often misclassified as bees instead of flies due to their exceptional batesian mimicry, especially to resemble Honeybees (family Apidae). The best strategy for proper identification is to look at their eyes and wings and compare with fly morphology, to determine membership of family Syrphidae or of order Hymenoptera.

Taxonomy

This subfamily consists of the following tribes:

• Brachyopini
• Callicerini
• Cerioidini
• Eristalini
• Sericomyiini
• Eumerini
• Milesiini
• Rhingiini
• Volucellini

Gallery

• 
  Brachyopa daeckei actual size 6.1–6.9 mm (1⁄4–9⁄32 in)
• 
  Sphiximorpha subsessilis
• 
  Palpada sp.
• 
  Sericomyia chalcopyga
• 
  Merodon equestris actual size 12.3–17.2 mm (1⁄2–5⁄8 in)
• 
  Syritta pipiens actual size 6.5–9.5 mm (1⁄4–3⁄8 in)
• 
  Rhingia campestris actual size 6.0–9.0 mm (1⁄4–3⁄8 in)
• 
  Volucelle bourdon actual size 11–17 mm (3⁄8–5⁄8 in)

Ecology

Rat-tailed maggot, the larva of the Drone fly (Eristalis tenax).

Larvae of the subfamily Eristalinae respire through a pair of posterior spiracular lobes, which are fused to form a single elongated breathing tube, characteristic of the Syrphidae.^[4] This subfamily exhibits the greatest diversity of larval habitats within the hoverflies, occurring in sap runs, under bark, rot holes, decaying organic matter such as dung and compost, and in shallow aquatic environments. Most larvae feed on decomposing organic material and act as filter feeders, helping to purify water by consuming microorganisms and detritus. In some species, such as the drone fly and rat-tailed maggot, the breathing tube functions as a fully extendable snorkel. A few species also feed on plant bulbs and may be regarded as garden pests.^[5]

Certain species in Eristalinae live as scavengers and take shelter in the remains of other insects, while others, like Volucella,^[6] are parasitoids and live in wasp or bee nests. Some other species are found to be leaf miners and tunnel inside the stems and roots of plants. Additionally, males of this subfamily typically employ dual mate-seeking strategies to find females, most commonly patrolling blossoms and waiting near potential sites where females could lay eggs.^[6]