| Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens (Linnaeus, 1758)) |
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Scientific name: Volucella pellucens (Linnaeus, 1758) Common name: Pellucid Fly French name: Volucelle transparente Order: Diptera Family: Syrphidae Wingspan : 15 to 16 mm. Biotope: Woodland edges, copses, hedgerows, pond banks, places with flowers, mainly with Brambles or Umbellifers. Geographic area: Europe, Asia east to Japan. Observation period : April to October. |
The Pellucid Fly is a large black syrphidae which shows a broad ivory-white band at the base of the abdomen. The translucent wings show some yellow colour near the base and large black spots in the middle. The head is conical-shaped and the antennae are feathery. The larvae grow inside underground nests of the German Wasp (Vespula germanica) or the Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris), where they feed on detritus, dead insects and sometimes larvae. |
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Here is another visitor to Pyracantha blossom. |
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No identification problem for this species which is very easy to tell apart. |
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This close view clearly shows the conical shape of the head and the feathery antennae. |
André Bon November 2012