Eristalis anthophorina

Eristalis anthophorina, the orange-spotted drone fly,^[2] is a species of syrphid fly with a Holarctic distribution.^[1][3][4] It is a common fly in wetlands, including bogs, fens, and woodland pools.^[2] In North America, it occurs throughout much of Canada and primarily in the northern parts of the United States.^[2] It may be introduced in North America.^[3][5]

Eristalis anthophorina
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Syrphidae
Genus:	Eristalis
Species:	E. anthophorina
Binomial name
Eristalis anthophorina (Fallén, 1817)
Synonyms[1]
List Eristalis bastardii Macquart, 1842 Eristalis everes Walker, 1852 Eristalis mellisoids Hull, 1925 Eristalis mellissoides Hull, 1925 Eristalis montanus Williston, 1882 Eristalis nebulosus Walker, 1849 Eristalis occidentalis Osburn, 1907 Eristalis perplexus Hull, 1925 Eristalis pterelas Say, 1835 Eristalis semimetallicus Macquart, 1850 Syrphus anthophorinus Fallén, 1817

Distribution

This species is Holarctic in distribution. It is widely distributed worldwide in northern North American and Europe. It is a common in wetlands, including bogs, fens, and woodland pools.^[2] In North America, it occurs throughout much of Canada and primarily in the northern parts of the United States.^[2] It may be introduced in North America.^[3][5] external map

Description

This fly can easily be confused with bumblebees. It reaches around 15 mm (0.6 in) in length.^[2]

Head

The face is reddish-yellow pollinose, with white pilose sides and a shining black median stripe and with black broadly on the cheeks (gena). The antennae are black with the arista reddish and pubescent near the base. The eyes are completely pilose, holoptic in the male.

Thorax

The thorax is black with long yellow hairs. The scutellum is wholly yellow, densely covered with yellow pile.

Abdomen

The first abdominal segment is black. The second segment is broadly shining with orange spots laterally. The remaining abdomen is black with long yellow-orange pile.

Wings

The wings are nearly hyaline. The stigmatic spot is dark brown with a broad, distinct, brownish spot in the middle of the wing. Wing veination: sinuous r₄₊₅, closed cell r1 anterior cross-vein (r-m) near the middle of discal cell (dm), oblique.

Legs

The legs are black, with black pile. The tibia is yellowish at the base.^[6]

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  Eristalis wing
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  Insect leg
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  Eristalis head
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  Syrphid antenna
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  Dorsal view of syrphid thorax

Ecology

It has been observed visiting the flowers of Verbena hastata (blue vervain), Salix myricoides (blue-leaved willow), and Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket).^[5]