Order Diptera Higher classification Scaeva | Family Syrphidae Scientific name Scaeva pyrastri Rank Species | |
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Similar Scaeva, Hoverfly, Fly, Insect, Sphaerophoria scripta | ||
Hoverflies scaeva pyrastri feeding cornwall
Scaeva pyrastri, common name the pied hoverfly, is a species of hoverfly.
Contents
- Hoverflies scaeva pyrastri feeding cornwall
- Hoverfly scaeva pyrastri kjarrsveifa fluga skord r p ddur
- Distribution
- Description
- Habitat and behavior
- References
Hoverfly scaeva pyrastri kjarrsveifa fluga skord r p ddur
Distribution
These hoverflies are present in most of Europe, in the Near East, in the East Palearctic ecozone, in Nearctic ecozone, in North Africa and in the Oriental ecozone.
Description
Scaeva pyrastri can reach a length of 11–15 millimetres (0.43–0.59 in). This large distinctive fly has three pairs of white comma markings (lunules) on the abdomen, these are yellow on Scaeva selenitica.
The face is yellow, with reddish brown antennae. The eyes are covered with hair. Scutellum is brown yellow. The legs are red with a black base of the femur. The male's eyes do touch in the centre of the frons, while in the females they are separated.
The larvae are light green or sometimes pink, with a white dorsal longitudinal stripe.
Habitat and behavior
This species can be found in gardens, meadows and wasteland. Adults are common visitors to flowers of Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), but also of rape, honeysuckle and daisies. They fly from April to September, with the peak in July and August. The larvae feed on different aphid species. During the larval stages they may consume over 500 aphids.
