Species: Lesser Bulb Fly (Eumerus funeralis)
Family: Hoverflies (SYRPHIDAE)
Category: Insects (Other)
Location: One Sighting
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. Lesser Bulb Fly (Eumerus funeralis)
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.
Images
Lesser Bulb Fly (Eumerus funeralis)
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.
Lesser Bulb Fly (Eumerus funeralis)
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.
Lesser Bulb Fly (Eumerus funeralis)
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.
