Beris vallata explained

Beris vallata, the orange legionnaire or common orange legionnaire, is a European species of soldier fly.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Description

Beris vallata is a soldier fly, which is black and yellow in colour. The abdomen is entirely yellow, lacking black bands. All tibiae are yellow and then black in the apical half. Wings of the female are yellowish with brown pterostigma, while wings of the male are blackish in colour. Pubescence of the abdomen is black for males and yellow in females. Body length ranges from 5 to 6 mm.^{[4] [5] [6]} The species also possesses six spines which protrude from the back of the scutellum.^[7]

Lifecycle

The flight period is from may to September. Larvae inhabit moist Bryophyta, where they feed on decaying vegetation.^[8] Pupation will take place among fallen decomposing leaves. Adults feed on pollen and nectar including that of Tanacetum vulgare.

Habitat

Beris vallata is associated with marsh and wet woodland habitats in areas that provide moist conditions for mosses. Larvae can often be found living within mosses in close proximity to bodies of water. Adults are found on vegetation, also in close proximity to moist habitat.

Distribution

North Europe, Central Europe, Southwest Europe, north up to Sweden and European Russia.

Notes and References

1. Book: Stubbs . Alan E . Drake . Martin . British Soldierflies and their allies (an illustrated guide to their identification and ecology) . 2014 . . Reading . 9781899935079 . 528 pp, 20 plates . 2.
2. Woodley . N.E. . A World Catalog of the Stratiomyidae (Diptera) . Myia . 2001 . 11 . 1–462. 7 December 2022.
3. Book: Zeegers . T. . Schulten . A. . Families of Flies with Three Pulvilli: Field Guide Northwest Europe . 2022 . Jeugdbondsuitgeverij . Graveland . 9789051070682 . 256pp.
4. Séguy . Eugène . 1926 . Diptères Brachycères . . 13 . 308 p., 685 fig.
5. Verrall . George Henry . 1909 . Stratiomyidae and succeeding families of the Diptera Brachycera of Great Britain . British Flies . 7 . 16 December 2022.
6. Narchuk . E. P. . 1988 . Bei-Bienko . G. Ya . Stratiomyidae . Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSR . 5 . Part 2 English edition.
7. Web site: 2024-07-03 . Common Orange Legionnaire - Beris vallata . 2024-07-03 . NatureSpot.
8. Web site: Harvey . Martin C. . 2021-05-24 . Identifying soldierflies and allies: Soldierflies in genus Beris . https://web.archive.org/web/20240703101735/https://soldierflies.brc.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Beris%20ID%20guide.pdf . 2024-07-03 . 2024-07-03 . soldierflies.brc.ac.uk . 2.