Species: Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
Family: Hoverflies (SYRPHIDAE)
Category: Insects (Other)
Location: Widespread
A. Insects (Other)
More extensive information on insects can be found in a separate blog post.
B. Hoverflies (SYRPHIDAE)
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.
C. Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
Eupeodes luniger is a hoverfly that can have a variable appearance, although its crescent-shaped yellow markings are distinctive because they don't reach round to the outer edge of the insect's abdomen.
This is a migratory species that is now well-established in the southern part of Britain.
The common English name for this hoverfly is the 'Common Spotted Field Syrph'.
Images
Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
The yellow markings on the abdomen of Eupeodes luniger don't reach to the edges of the insect's upper abdomen.
Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
This is a migratory species that is now well-established in the southern part of Britain.
Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
Without good magnification Eupeodes luniger could be mistaken for Eupeodes corrollae or Eupeodes latifasciatus. The diagnostic difference is the small Y-shaped mark between the eyes and above the antennae, shown clearly in this photograph.
Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger)
This photograph shows a female Common Spotted Field Syrph (Eupeodes luniger) laying eggs on a blade of grass - in early October 2023.
