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Photo#182612
Syrphid larva devouring aphids 5-13-08 - Syrphus

Syrphid larva devouring aphids 5-13-08 - Syrphus
Churchville Nature Center, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA
May 13, 2008
Size: 5-6 mm.
A Syrphid maggot eating aphids found on trumpet honeysuckle. The fully grown maggots can reach ten millimeters when fully stretched. The foolish sister of the victim came close to inspect.
See some of the colony (genus Hyadaphis): 5/11/08

You can see them in action in this video

I took a twig home and put it in water. I hope that I can raise the maggot to adulthood so that we can find out what species it is. Wish me luck.

Images of this individual: tag all
Syrphid larva devouring aphids 5-13-08 - Syrphus Syrphid larva devouring aphids 5-13-08 - Syrphus

Another life cycle
Eupeodes

Moved
Moved from Syrphini.

Moved
Moved from Syrphid Flies.
no luck with pupa #1.

Update, May 31. Life cycle.
The coccoon of the third pupa became translucent on May 28 and you could see the fly inside. It emerged the next day:
Pupa #3 5/28/08 5/29/08

The coccoon of the first and second ones were darker and not translucent on May 28. On May 31 a wasp emerged from the second one:
Pupa #2 5/28/08 5/31/08

I numbered the pupae in the order in which I found them: May 20, 22 and 24. But for all I know, they could all be the same age. They are eclosing in the reverse order from the one in which I found them.
Still waiting for pupa#1.

 
Hi Beatriz
Well done all around! I reared a syrphid for the first time this past summer -- also a Syrphus sp., whose larvae fed on aphids on a mint family plant. You might be interested to know that the puparia I got followed the exact same pattern as yours: those that looked unremarkable and then eventually turned translucent all gave rise to adult flies, while those that turned dark reddish-brown were all parasitized. I am also astonished that the fly fit inside that relatively little puparium! I found one of the adults in its rearing container only moments after it eclosed, before its wings had inflated; its abdomen underneath was totally transparent (and looked empty inside, so that I assumed something was wrong...but eventually it became opaque, and the adult fly seemed fine and healthy).

Pupa
See the pupa a week later (May 20)
Pupa #1 5/20/08
Update: nothing emerged from this puparium.

Good luck with your foster fly.
May aphids be plentiful!

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