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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Hover Flies (Syrphidae) » Eristalinae » Eristalini » Eristalina » Drone Flies (Eristalis) » Subgenus Eristalis (Eristalis Subgenus Eristalis) » Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)

Species Eristalis tenax - Common Drone Fly

Classification · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited
Drone Fly - Eristalis tenax - female Eristalis tenax? - Eristalis tenax Fly - Eristalis tenax - female Eristalis tenax - male Syrphidae - Syrphid Flies - Eristalis tenax Eristalis on Sisymbrium loeselii - Eristalis tenax Eristalis tenax Common Drone Fly - Eristalis tenax
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 Eristalini
Subtribe Eristalina
Genus Eristalis (Drone Flies)
No Taxon (Subgenus Eristalis)
Species tenax (Common Drone Fly)
Explanation of Names
Eristalis (Eristalis) tenax (Linnaeus 1758)
Size
13-15 mm(1)
Identification
looks much like a honeybee (Apis mellifera).
Two vertical bands of hairs on the eyes
Range
of Eurasian origin, now cosmopolitan (incl. most of NA: LB-AK nto FL-CA)
Habitat
larvae in small ponds, ditches, drains
Season
late Mar to early Dec, most common in Sep-Oct(1)
Food
Adults feed on nectar, larvae feed on rotting organic material in stagnant water
Life Cycle
larva breathes through the long thin tube that extends from its rear end to water surface (thus its common name, 'rat-tailed maggot')
Remarks
Introduced in North America prior to 1874
Internet References
Rat-tailed maggots(2) (Broken link)
ID guide(1)
EoL
The Natural History of Eristalis tenax
U. Florida
Wikipedia
Works Cited
1.Syrphidae of Ontario
2.NCSU Insect Collection Species Inventory Database
Contributed by john and jane balaban on 19 September, 2004 - 2:40pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Ted Kropiewnicki, v belov, Harsi S. Parker, PaleoJon
Last updated 16 April, 2023 - 9:48pm

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