Eristalis anthophorina explained

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

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. In North America, it occurs throughout much of Canada and primarily in the northern parts of the United States. It may be introduced in North America.external map

Description

This fly can easily be confused with bumblebees. It reaches around in length.

HeadThe 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.^[1]

Ecology

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

Notes and References

1. Hull . Frank Montgomery . 1925 . A review of the genus Eristalis Latreille in North America . The Ohio Journal of Science . 25 . 11–45 . 1811/2257 .