Scaeva pyrastri
Late Großstirnschwebfliege ( Scaeva pyrastri ), female
Called The Late Großstirnschwebfliege ( Scaeva pyrastri ), also bubble -headed or Halbmondschwebfliege hoverfly, is a type in the family of hoverflies (Syrphidae ).
Features
The flies have a body length of 10-15 millimeters. The apex of the animals is black, his face gray with brownish yellow center line, the pointed ends in the center of the face. The antennae are reddish brown. The mesonotum is colored glossy blue-black. On the sides it is dark red-brown, brownish yellow to whitish hairs. The tag ( scutellum ) is brown yellow. The legs are reddish yellow, the legs ( femora ) of the front and middle legs are at the base, stained the rear legs at the head black. The abdomen is flat black, the tergites on the back edge shine steel blue. In the first three tergites, there is one pair weißlichgelber spots. The rear two spot pairs are crescent- shaped curved and are wrong, so that its front end is adjacent to the inner side almost at the front edge of the corresponding Tergits. The spots of the first segment are. As with all species of the genus Scaeva the forehead is greatly inflated and densely tufted hairy black and the compound eyes are very hairy and have significantly smaller facets on the bottom than on the top. The face of the female is about as wide as that of the male.
The species can with the Early Großstirnschwebfliege ( Scavea selenitica ) be mistaken, however, transmits yellow-colored spots on the abdomen.
Occurrence and habitat
The species is widespread throughout the Holarctic and occurs from North Africa and Europe east to Japan and in North America. In Central Europe, it comes from the plains to the mountains and settled in front of meadows, fields and paths and forest edges, but also gardens. As Wanderart they can travel long distances in flight.
Way of life
The adults fly in lowland areas from April to September, with the peak in July and August, at high altitudes in July and August. They are flower visitors and especially to umbelliferous plants, but also of raspberries, blackberries, thistles and cypress spurge observed.
As with all species of the genus Scaeva the egelartigen larvae of various species of aphids, which they hunt on herbaceous plants and fruit trees and conifers feed. The larvae overwinter in duff before they pupate.