Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Diptera (True flies) ➔ Family Syrphidae (Hoverflies)

Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina & Mamayev, 1962

  • Temnostoma meridionale, female 5254
    Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina & Mamayev, 1962     
    Temnostoma meridionale, female, det. Piet Nord
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2012-05-18 14:28:54
    Image number: 5254
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2012-05-18 14:28:54
    det. Piet Nord
  • Temnostoma meridionale, female 6733
    Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina & Mamayev, 1962     
    Temnostoma meridionale, female
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2012-05-18 14:28:37
    Image number: 6733
    female
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2012-05-18 14:28:37
  • Temnostoma meridionale, male 8707
    Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina & Mamayev, 1962     
    Temnostoma meridionale, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2019-05-26 11:44:58
    Image number: 8707
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2019-05-26 11:44:58
  • Temnostoma meridionale, male 8708
    Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina & Mamayev, 1962     
    Temnostoma meridionale, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2019-05-26 11:45:01
    Image number: 8708
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2019-05-26 11:45:01
  • Temnostoma meridionale, male 8709
    Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina & Mamayev, 1962     
    Temnostoma meridionale, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2019-05-26 11:42:12
    Image number: 8709
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2019-05-26 11:42:12
  • Temnostoma meridionale, male 8710
    Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina & Mamayev, 1962     
    Temnostoma meridionale, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2019-05-26 11:43:11
    Image number: 8710
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2019-05-26 11:43:11
  • Temnostoma meridionale, male 11205
    Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina & Mamayev, 1962     
    Temnostoma meridionale, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2023-06-14 13:58:23
    Image number: 11205
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2023-06-14 13:58:23
  • Temnostoma meridionale, male 11206
    Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina & Mamayev, 1962     
    Temnostoma meridionale, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2023-06-08 14:53:11
    Image number: 11206
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2023-06-08 14:53:11
  • Temnostoma meridionale, male 11207
    Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina & Mamayev, 1962     
    Temnostoma meridionale, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2023-06-08 14:52:52
    Image number: 11207
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2023-06-08 14:52:52
  • Temnostoma vespiforme + Temnostoma meridionale 8180
    Temnostoma meridionale Krivosheina & Mamayev, 1962     
    Temnostoma vespiforme + Temnostoma meridionale
    DE, Chemnitz; 0000-00-00 00:00:00
    Image number: 8180

    DE, Chemnitz
    0000-00-00 00:00:00

Classification:
Temnostoma meridionale belongs to the subfamily Eristalinae, tribe Milesiini.
Distribution:
Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, central and south-west France (including the Pyrenees), the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Romania, the Ukraine, European parts of Russia and the Caucasus.
Habitat:
Fagus and thermophilous Quercus forest (Quercus pubescens) containing overmature and fallen trees.
Description:
Body length 14 - 17 mm; mesoscutum with yellow marks immediately anterior to postalar calli and with two yellow marks on each side in the vicinity of the transverse suture, separated from each other by the dark suture; abdomen: at least tergites 3 - 4 in the male and 3 - 5 in the female with two distinct, transverse, yellow bands frequently joined by a narrow yellow middle strip; the anterior and posterior bands reach the lateral margins of the tergites, which are normally entirely, and broadly, yellow.
Similar species:
A similar species is Temnostoma vespiforme. Both species can be distinguished by the yellow spots on the mesoscutum. For comparison, the last picture shows a male of Temnostoma vespiforme and a female of Temnostoma meridionale.
Biology:
Temnostoma meridionale flies from the beginning of May to the beginning of July. The males usually hover at a height of about 3 m. Adults visit the flowers of Cornus sanguinea.
The wood-boring larvae of Temnostoma meridionale live and develop in the wet wood of dead deciduous trees and stumps.
Mimicry:
The striking yellow and black colored Temnostoma species not only resemble wasps in their appearance, but also mimic them with their behavior. They usually keep their forelegs extended far beyond the head so that they resemble the antennae of wasps. This mimicry helps to protect against predators, such as birds.
Natural enemies:
Phaenocarpa barthii (Brues, 1907) - Hymenoptera, Braconidae.
Phaenocarpa tiliae Tobias, 1986 - Hymenoptera, Braconidae.

References, further reading, links:
  1. M.C.D.Speight: Species Accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera), Glasgow 2011, Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae, vol. 65, 285 pp., Syrph the Net publications, Dublin.
  2. Menno Reemer, Willem Renema, Wouter van Steenis, Theo Zeegers, Aat Barendregt, John T. Smit, Mark P. van Veen, Jeroen van Steenis, Laurens van der Leij: De Nederlandse Zweefvliegen (Diptera: Syrphidae), Nederlandse Fauna 8, 2009.
  3. Speight, M.C.D. & Sarthou, J.-P. (2014) StN keys for the identification of the European species of various genera of Syrphidae (Diptera) 2014 / Clés StN pour la détermination des espèces Européennes de plusieurs genres des Syrphidae (Diptères) 2014. Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae, Vol. 80, 125 pp, Syrph the Net publications, Dublin