Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Home
» Guide »
Arthropods (Arthropoda)
»
Insects (Insecta)
»
Flies (Diptera)
»
Aschiza
»
Syrphid Flies (Syrphidae)
»
Microdontinae
»
Microdon
Photo#18919
Copyright © 2005
Cotinis
Bee-like Hoverfly -
Microdon
Little River Regional Park, Orange County, North Carolina, USA
May 27, 2005
Size: circa 13 mm
Found perched on vegetation beside a trail.
Thanks to Eric Eaton for correction of the id--I hadthought this was a
Mallota
.
Images of this individual:
tag all
Contributed by
Cotinis
on 1 June, 2005 - 9:23pm
Last updated 3 June, 2005 - 5:37am
Microdon!
Ding,ding,ding,ding!!! We have a winner! Remember those creepy, slug-like syrphid larvae? Well, 'this' is what they turn into:-) Kind of makes up for their youth, eh? The overall fuzzy, bee-like appearance, paired with those unusually long antennae, helps ID these guys.
…
Eric R. Eaton
, 2 June, 2005 - 5:55pm
Thanks for correction!
Neat. I've seen a couple of these around as adults. I'll have to look for the larvae.
Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina
…
Cotinis
, 3 June, 2005 - 5:39am
Microdon larvae.
Actually, the larvae might be easier to find than the adults. The slug-like maggots are found associated with carpenter ants, so next time you tear into a rotten log and expose a Camponotus nest, look for them. Meanwhile, please continue shooting the adults. Not many photos exist of North American adults. One species I have collected is a lovely golden color.
…
Eric R. Eaton
, 3 June, 2005 - 2:20pm
