Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Diptera (True flies) ➔ Family Syrphidae (Hoverflies)
Eristalis (Eristalis) tenax (Linnaeus, 1758)
Mistbiene Common Drone Fly
Synonyms and other combinations:
Conops vulgaris Scopoli, 1763 | Eristalis alpinus Strobl, 1893 | Eristalis campestris Meigen, 1822 | Eristalis claripes Abreu, 1924 | Eristalis cognatus Wiedemann, 1824 | Eristalis columbica Macquart, 1855 | Eristalis hortorum Meigen, 1822 | Eristalis sinensis Wiedemann, 1824 | Eristalis sylvaticus Meigen, 1822 | Eristalis ventralis Thomson, 1869 | Eristalis vulpinus Meigen, 1822 | Musca apiformis Geoffroy, 1785 |
Classification:
Eristalis tenax belongs to the subfamily Eristalinae, tribe Eristalini.Distribution:
Cosmopolitan. Eristalis tenax is the most widely distributed syrphid species in the world occurring throughout Europe except in the far north.Habitat:
Occurring in almost all habitats.Description:
The Common Drone Fly has a body length of 14 - 16 mm. Its predominantly brown-black, shiny abdomen is variably colored. On the 2nd abdominal segment are usually 2 lateral yellow or reddish yellow spots. From other species of the same genus it can be distinguished by two striking vertical bands of dark hairs on the eyes.Biology:
Eristalis tenax is a pronounced migrator. In Europe, the species spreads in the early summer to the north. In late summer, Eristalis tenax migrates to warmer regions. The Common Drone Fly flies from February to November. Individual overwintering females can be observed in fine weather in winter and early spring. The adults feed on nectar and pollen. They are frequent visitors of white, yellow, pink and blue flowers and make a significant contribution to the pollination of the visited plants.The eggs are deposited on trenches, ponds and other stagnant waters with a large amount of organic nutrients. The aquatic, saprophagous larvae are also called rat tail larvae, as they have a long tail-like breathing tube at the body end. They are particularly resistant to oxygen deficiency and can live in putrefying sludge and manure pits. After leaving the water the adult larvae pupate on a drier place.
References, further reading, links:
- Pape T. & Thompson F.C. (eds) (2017). Systema Dipterorum (version 2.0, Jan 2011). In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2017 Annual Checklist (Roskov Y., Abucay L., Orrell T., Nicolson D., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., DeWalt R.E., Decock W., De Wever A., Nieukerken E. van, Zarucchi J., Penev L., eds.). Digital resource at www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2017. Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. ISSN 2405-884X.
- 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.
- Gerald Bothe: Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Schwebfliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) Deutschlands und der Niederlande, DJN, 1984, ISBN 3-923376-07-3
- 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.
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- Anasimyia transfuga
- Baccha elongata
- Blera fallax
- Brachyopa sp.
- Brachypalpoides lentus
- Brachypalpus laphriformis
- Brachypalpus sp.
- Brachypalpus valgus
- Ceriana conopsoides
- Ceriana vespiformis
- Chalcosyrphus femoratus
- Chalcosyrphus nemorum
- Chalcosyrphus valgus
- Cheilosia albipila
- Cheilosia albitarsis
- Cheilosia chrysocoma
- Cheilosia illustrata
- Cheilosia pagana
- Cheilosia scutellata
- Cheilosia sp.
- Cheilosia variabilis
- Chrysogaster sp.
- Chrysotoxum bicinctum
- Chrysotoxum fasciatum
- Chrysotoxum festivum
- Chrysotoxum verralli
- Criorhina berberina
- Dasysyrphus albostriatus
- Dasysyrphus sp.
- Dasysyrphus tricinctus
- Didea fasciata
- Didea intermedia
- Didea sp.
- Epistrophe diaphana
- Epistrophe eligans
- Epistrophe flava
- Epistrophe grossulariae
- Epistrophe melanostoma
- Epistrophe melanostoma/nitidicollis
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- Eristalis interrupta
- Eristalis intricaria
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- Eristalis similis
- Eristalis sp.
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- Eumerus sp.
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- Eupeodes luniger
- Eupeodes sp.
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- Ferdinandea cuprea
- Hammerschmidtia ferruginea
- Helophilus hybridus
- Helophilus pendulus
- Helophilus sp.
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- Leucozona laternaria
- Leucozona lucorum
- Melangyna lasiophthalma
- Melangyna quadrimaculata
- Melangyna umbellatarum
- Melanogaster sp.
- Melanostoma scalare
- Meligramma triangulifera
- Meliscaeva cinctella
- Merodon ambiguus
- Merodon avidus
- Merodon equestris
- Merodon moenium
- Merodon obscuritarsis
- Merodon sp.
- Microdon analis/major
- Microdon mutabilis/myrmicae
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- Myolepta dubia
- Orthonevra sp.
- Paragus sp.
- Parasyrphus lineolus
- Parhelophilus sp.
- Pipiza austriaca
- Pipiza bimaculata
- Pipiza fenestrata
- Pipiza quadrimaculata
- Pipiza sp.
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- Platycheirus sp.
- Rhingia campestris
- Rhingia rostrata
- Scaeva albomaculata
- Scaeva pyrastri
- Scaeva selenitica
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- Sericomyia silentis
- Sphaerophoria rueppelli
- Sphaerophoria scripta
- Sphaerophoria sp.
- Sphegina sp.
- Spilomyia saltuum
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- Syrphus ribesii
- Syrphus sp.
- Syrphus vitripennis
- Temnostoma bombylans
- Temnostoma meridionale
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- Tropidia scita
- Volucella bombylans
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- Volucella pellucens
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- Xanthogramma pedissequum
- Xylota segnis
- Xylota sp.
- Xylota sylvarum