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Species Eristalis tenax - Common Drone Fly

Representative Images

Syphid Fly - Eristalis tenax - female Drone Fly - Eristalis tenax syrphid 3 - Eristalis tenax Eristalis tenax - female Eristalis tenax? - Eristalis tenax Drone Fly - Eristalis tenax - male Drone Fly - Eristalis tenax - male Syrphid-eristalis - Eristalis tenax - male

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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