Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Hover Flies (Syrphidae) » Eristalinae » Milesiini » Milesiina » Spilomyia » Spilomyia alcimus
Photo#1675314
Assume it's a hornet - Spilomyia alcimus
Copyright © 2019 Isabel Cutler

Assume it's a hornet - Spilomyia alcimus
Hendersonville, Henderson County, North Carolina, USA
June 13, 2019
Size: 3/4"
Contributed by Isabel Cutler on 13 June, 2019 - 12:01pm
Last updated 15 June, 2019 - 10:42pm

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 15 June, 2019 - 10:42pm

Yes; Spilomyia alcimus ... female
Yes; Spilomyia alcimus ... female.
No sizeable yellow spot on propleuron, separating it from texana.
… Bill Dean, 13 June, 2019 - 1:28pm

 
Fascinating...reminds me of scary hover fly!
Thank you, Bill Dean and C W Melton.
… Isabel Cutler, 13 June, 2019 - 2:06pm

It's a hornet mimic.
The antennae and mouthparts indicate fly, a syrphid fly. It holds it's front legs up to mimic the antennae of wasps.
Possibly Spilomyia alcimus.
Images here.
Bill Dean will be able to confirm the ID.
… cwmelton, 13 June, 2019 - 1:04pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo