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Post by nomad on Aug 21, 2017 15:42:01 GMT
The Hornet hoverflies. Volucella zonaria is Britain's largest hoverfly and a mimic of Vespa crabro, and it closely resembles a hornet worker when in flight. Volucella inanis is a smaller hornet/wasp mimic and differs from V. zonaria in the mainly yellow underside to abdomen and has yellow rather than chestnut markings on tergite 2. The thoracic dorsum and scuttellum of V. inanis is lighter than in V . zonaria which is chestnut. The larvae of both species develop as scavengers and larva predators in wasp nests, especially the nests of Vespula species. Adults of V. Zonaria may live for as long as eight weeks. Around the turn of the 20th century, V. Zonaria was considered to be a rare vagrant but became established in Britain during the 1940s. V. inanis headquarters in Britain used be the countryside surrounding London but it then spread northwards into the Midlands. Stubbs ( 2001) stated V. inanis had contracted its range eastwards and was absent from central southern England but it is certainly now found in the latter area. I have seen it this year at a lakeside margin in Glos, along a hedgerow on Salisbury Plain and have found it to be a frequent species in the Oxfordshire fens and I have even had it in my Wilts garden along with V. zonaria. Below. The images of V. zonaria below were taken yesterday in the botanical gardens at Kew, Surrey, where at least five were seen visiting buddleia and ivy flowers. Ivy flowering in August, now that's early indeed. The last image shows V. zonaria feeding at water mint at a lakeside margin in Glos. Below. V. inanis. Image 1 & 2 , feeding at water mint, glos lakeside. Images 3-7. Oxfordshire fens.
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Post by trehopr1 on Aug 21, 2017 16:58:27 GMT
Those are two very, very cool hornet mimics ! The conical shaped mouthparts of V. inanis along with the huge compound eyes give that fly a unique look.
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Post by nomad on Aug 21, 2017 19:29:25 GMT
Indeed, these impressive insects are wonderful examples of Batesian mimicry.
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