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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 · Internet References · Works Cited

Syrphid Flies Volucella evecta - Volucella evecta

Laphria thoracica ? - Volucella facialis

Bumble Bee Mimic Syrphid Fly? - Volucella facialis - female

Volucella bombylans-complex? - Volucella evecta - female

Volucella evecta? - Volucella evecta - female

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)(1)

Remarks

Eggs are laid in bumble bee nests. Larvae are scavengers, but occasionally they feed on bumble bee larvae. Berkeley.edu

Other members of the genus (in England) 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.

Internet References

Taxon page(1)

Dipterist Forum. Colour Guide to Hoverfly Larvae (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Britain and Europe. Graham E Rotheray

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. Can. J. Arthropod Identification 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.

Contributed by Martin Hauser on 15 May, 2007 - 5:03pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, v belov, edanko
Last updated 5 January, 2022 - 1:35pm

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