Eristalis bellardii

Jaennicke, 1867

Mexican mountain drone fly

Eristalis bellardii is an uncommon syrphid fly first described in 1867. It is found in the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America. The species exhibits of honeybees, with visiting flowers for nectar and pollen. Larval remains unknown.

Eristalis bellardii by (c) Sam Kieschnick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sam Kieschnick. Used under a CC-BY license.Eristalis bellardii by Kim Davis & Mike Stangeland. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Eristalis bellardii: //ˌɛrɪˈstælis bɛˈlɑrdi.aɪ//

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Identification

Distinguished from other Eristalis by specific abdominal tergal patterning: second orange on lateral two-thirds, black medially; in third and fourth terga. Male touching versus separated in female. Differs from Eristalis tenax (common drone fly) by less extensive orange coloration and more restricted distribution. Genitalia figure available in original description literature.

Images

Appearance

Medium-sized hoverfly with honeybee-like appearance. black, sometimes reddish-brown laterally with yellowish-white pollen except for shiny central stripe extending nearly to . Gena shiny with pale yellow pile. Frontal lunule reddish-brown. Antenna with bare . pile brownish-yellow, white ventrally. Male eyes touch along center; female eyes separated. black with yellow pile except central scutellum with black pile over reddish-brown base. Wings hyaline with yellow pilose tegula. : first black; second tergum dull orange on lateral two-thirds, black medially; third tergum similar to second in male, female with orange lateral only about one-third width; fourth tergum orange on lateral third in male, entirely black in female.

Habitat

Montane regions of southwestern North America and Central America. Specific microhabitat requirements not documented.

Distribution

Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America. Infrequently encountered throughout range.

Seasonality

activity period not specifically documented for this .

Behavior

hover and visit flowers. Larval unknown.

Ecological Role

pollination services likely, based on flower visitation. Specific contributions unstudied.

Similar Taxa

  • Eristalis tenaxCommon drone fly with broader distribution and more extensive orange abdominal coloration; versus restricted southwestern range
  • Other Eristalis speciesShared characteristics including mimicry, but distinguished by specific abdominal patterning and male configuration

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Sources and further reading