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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Hover Flies (Syrphidae) » Eristalinae » Volucellini » Volucella

Genus Volucella

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited
Bee Fly - Volucella facialis Bee-mimic Syrphid - Volucella facialis unknown diptera - Volucella evecta Volucella - Volucella evecta - male Yellow-faced Swiftwing [ Volucella facialis ] - Volucella facialis Volucella evecta? - Volucella evecta - female Volucella - male Volucella1 Bbrg - Volucella
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon ("Aschiza")
Family Syrphidae (Hover Flies)
Subfamily Eristalinae
Tribe Volucellini
Genus Volucella
Explanation of Names
Volucella Geoffroy 1762
Numbers
4 spp. in our area. Most records refer to our species in this genus under the name Volucella bombylans, which is now believed to be an Old World species. A New World "bombylans" is one of arctica, evecta, and facialis, or one still undescribed species.(1)(2)
Remarks
Eggs are laid in bumble bee nests. Larvae are scavengers, but occasionally they feed on bumble bee larvae.(3); other members of the genus feed on the larvae and pupae of bees and wasps.
Print References
Cheng A. (2011) Revision of the New World members of the Volucella bombylans (Diptera, Syrphidae) complex. Honours thesis, Carleton University, Canada.
Works Cited
1.Key to the genera of nearctic Syrphidae
Miranda G.F.G, Young A.D., Locke M.M., Marshall S.A., Skevington J.H., Thompson F.C. 2013. CJAI 23: 1‒351.
2.Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America
Jeffrey H. Skevington and Michelle M. Locke, Andrew D. Young, Kevin Moran, William J. Crins and Stephen A. Marshall. 2019. Princeton University Press.
3.Bumble Bees and Cuckoo Bumble Bees of California (Hymenoptera: Apidae)
Thorp R.W., Horning D.S., Jr., Dunning L.L. 1983. Bull. Calif. Ins. Survey 23: viii+79 pp.
Contributed by Martin Hauser on 15 May, 2007 - 5:03pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, v belov, edanko
Last updated 19 January, 2024 - 9:21pm

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