Here’s a deep overview of the Orange-spined Drone Fly (Eristalis interrupta), a hoverfly species that often mimics bees for protection.

🪰 Orange-spined Drone Fly (Eristalis interrupta)

🔹 Taxonomy

• Order: Diptera
• Family: Syrphidae (Hoverflies / Flower flies)
• Genus: Eristalis
• Species: Eristalis interrupta

🌍 Distribution and Range

The Orange-spined Drone Fly is a widespread Holarctic species, found in:

• Europe: From northern Scandinavia to southern Europe.
• Asia: Extending across Russia, Siberia, and parts of Central Asia.
• North America: Widely distributed in Canada and the northern United States.

It inhabits temperate regions, with local abundance depending on flowering plant availability.

🏞️ Habitat

• Wetlands, marshes, and bogs — especially near water sources.
• Meadows and forest clearings with diverse wildflowers.
• Gardens and farmland, where it often visits flowering crops.
• Prefers areas where larvae (rat-tailed maggots) can develop in muddy, stagnant water.

✨ Identification Features

The Orange-spined Drone Fly is part of the drone fly group, named for their resemblance to honeybees.

• Size: Medium-sized hoverfly (10–14 mm).
• Coloration:
  • Thorax dark, with golden-brown dusting.
  • Abdomen with orange-yellow patches/spines along tergites (hence the common name).
  • Mimics honeybees (Apis mellifera), which deters predators.
• Wings: Transparent with a faint brownish tint.
• Antennae: Short, typical of hoverflies.
• Flight: Capable of hovering in place and darting quickly between flowers.

🌸 Diet and Role

• Adults: Feed on nectar and pollen from a wide variety of flowers (daisies, dandelions, umbellifers).
• Larvae (Rat-tailed maggots): Aquatic, living in stagnant water rich in organic matter, feeding on detritus and microorganisms.

Ecological Role:

• Important pollinator of wildflowers and crops.
• Helps recycle nutrients through larval feeding.

🔄 Life Cycle

1. Eggs: Laid near water bodies with organic-rich mud.
2. Larvae: Known as rat-tailed maggots, equipped with a long breathing tube, allowing them to survive in oxygen-poor water.
3. Pupae: Form in drier soil or among decaying vegetation near water.
4. Adults: Emerge in spring and summer, active from April to October (varies with latitude).

Usually produces multiple generations per year in warmer regions.

🦋 Behavior and Mimicry

• Exhibits Batesian mimicry of bees to deter birds and insectivores.
• Non-stinging, harmless to humans.
• Often seen hovering over flowers or basking in sunny spots.

⚖️ Conservation Status

• Not threatened; widespread and stable populations.
• Beneficial insect for ecosystems and agriculture due to pollination services.
• Sensitive to water pollution and habitat loss, since larvae need clean wetlands.

✅ In summary:
The Orange-spined Drone Fly (Eristalis interrupta) is a widespread hoverfly that mimics bees for protection, plays a vital role as a pollinator, and has fascinating aquatic larvae called rat-tailed maggots. It thrives in wetland-rich landscapes and contributes significantly to biodiversity and agriculture.

« ‹ of 5 › »

Views: 114