Lesser Bulb Fly

The Lesser Bulb Fly is a small, dark hoverfly that is no longer than 6.5 millimetres in length.

Species introduction

At a glance
Latin name: 
Eumerus funeralis
Family: 
Hoverflies
Family Latin name: 
SYRPHIDAE
Category: 
Insects other

Species description

Species description

The Lesser Bulb Fly is a small, dark hoverfly dark hoverfly with a wingspan of between 4 and 6 millimetres. The Eumerus hoverflies are bulb and rhizome dwellers, often considered to be a pest of bulbs, especially daffodils. It is likely that this particular species was introduced into Britain in Victorian times, as it was rare in the early 20th century. It visits a wide range of low-growing flowers. There are five Eumerus hoverflies and it is highly probable that the individual photographed here is Eumerus funeralis, the Lesser Bulb Fly. The other four are found in different parts of Britain, at different times of the year or are more likely to be found in open countryside. This individual has been recorded mostly in urban gardens.

This individual is Eumerus funeralis as opposed to Eumerus strigatus, as it lacks a bare, polished patch on the hind femora. It also lacks the forward position of the three ocelli seen in Eumerus ornatus; and is not in the known range of Eumerus sabulonum.

The insect photographed below was on a Buttercup. Note how it has coated itself in pollen, demonstrating that some hoverflies can be excellent (if accidental) pollinators.

Species photographs

Larger photograph(s) (click to magnify)
The Lesser Bulb Fly is a small, dark hoverfly that is no longer than 6.5 millimetres in length.
The Lesser Bulb Fly is a small, dark hoverfly that is no longer than 6.5 millimetres in length.
The Lesser Bulb Fly is a small, dark hoverfly that is no longer than 6.5 millimetres in length.
Note the enlarged hind femur of this small, black hoverfly.
Eumerus funeralis, Heene Cemetery, late May 2025.

Details

Species family information

True to their name, the hoverflies hover around flowers, and then alight to feed on nectar and pollen. They are very important pollinators, and despite the fact that some look like wasps or bees, this is just mimicry and helps to keep potential predators at bay. Hoverflies have no sting, and have short, drooping antennae. The larvae are as useful as the adults, in that they feed on aphids. We have a photograph-filled blog post about all the hoverflies that we have seen in the Cemetery that may be worth your time.

Category information

Insects evolved in the Ordovician from a crustacean ancestral lineage as terrestrial invertebrates with six legs (the Hexapoda). This was the time when terrestrial plants first appeared. In the Devonian some insects developed wings and flight, the first animals to do so. An early flying group was the Odonata from the Carboniferous, the damselflies and dragonflies, which have densely-veined wings and long, ten-segmented bodies. They are day-flying carnivores, with an aquatic larval stage, so are commonly seen flying near water. The carnivorous larvae are called nymphs. Odonata species are short-lived, damselflies surviving for 2-4 weeks, dragonflies for up to 2 months.

Some insect groups in the Cretaceous co-evolved with the flowering plants, and they have had a close association ever since. These groups are the Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants), the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), the Diptera (flies), and the Coleoptera (beetles). The diversity of beetles is astonishing. Of all the known animal species on the planet, one in five is a beetle!