Species: Epistrophe hoverfly (Epistrophe sp.)
Family: Hoverflies (SYRPHIDAE)
Category: Insects (Other)
Location: NW
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. Epistrophe hoverfly (Epistrophe sp.)
We have been advised that this hoverfly is likely to be a member of the Epistrophe genus, smallish insects with yellow faces that fly in the Spring. These are woodland species that visit a variety of plants, including Garlic Mustard. Larvae are associated with aphids on Elder and Sycamore.
The Epistrophe genus is a small group consisting of perhaps seven individuals, several of which are rare or not found in Sussex. Our database already includes the easily identified Epistrophe eligans, the Spring Epistrophe, so we are including this unidentified Epistrophe here as it is clearly a different member of the Epistrophe genus. (Candidate species might include Epistrophe nitidicollis, but microscopic identification would be required to verify this.)
Images
Epistrophe hoverfly (Epistrophe sp.)
We have been advised that this hoverfly is likely to be a member of the Epistrophe genus, smallish insects with yellow faces that fly in the Spring. These are woodland species that visit a variety of plants, including Garlic Mustard. Larvae are associated with aphids on Elder and Sycamore.
