Eristalis obscura

Loew, 1866

Dusky Drone Fly

Eristalis obscura, commonly known as the dusky drone fly, is a of syrphid fly first described by Loew in 1866. It is widespread across northern North America and extends eastward through Europe to Siberia. The species exhibits the characteristic rat-tailed maggot larval form, with aquatic larvae that function as filter-feeders. Like other members of the Eristalis, are likely mimics, though specific documentation of this for E. obscura is limited.

Eristalis obscura 01 by Libby Avis, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. Used under a CC0 license.Eristalis obscura 02 by Libby Avis, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. Used under a CC0 license.Eristalis pseudorupium (syn. E. obscura) ♀, Brackvenn, Ostbelgien (37485321350) by Frank Vassen from Brussels, Belgium. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Eristalis obscura: //ɛrɪsˈtælis əbˈskjʊrə//

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Distribution

Northern North America; Europe east to Siberia. GBIF records confirm presence in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Diet

Larvae are aquatic filter-feeders. diet presumed to include pollen and nectar based on -level traits, though not explicitly documented for this .

Life Cycle

are laid in aquatic or semi-aquatic environments. Larvae are of the rat-tailed type—aquatic filter-feeders with an elongated siphon for respiration. Specific details of and timing are not documented for this .

Ecological Role

Larvae contribute to nutrient cycling in aquatic environments through filter-feeding on organic matter. likely serve as , though this has not been specifically documented for E. obscura.

Similar Taxa

  • Eristalis tenaxCommon drone fly; also a widespread Eristalis with rat-tailed larvae, but differs in being more and specifically documented as a and waste recycler
  • Eristalis arbustorumAnother northern Eristalis with overlapping distribution; separation requires examination of subtle morphological characters not detailed in available sources

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Sources and further reading