Parhelophilus divisus

(Loew, 1863)

Yellow-legged Bog Fly

Parhelophilus divisus is a rare known as the -legged bog fly, documented primarily from the northeastern United States. The species exhibits the characteristic ability to remain nearly motionless in . are flower-associated, feeding on nectar and pollen, while possess the distinctive long-tailed "rat-tailed" typical of many Eristalinae.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Parhelophilus divisus: //ˌpærhɪˈloʊfɪləs dɪˈvaɪsəs//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

No specific diagnostic features distinguishing this from are documented in available sources.

Habitat

Associated with bog environments, as indicated by the . frequent flowers for feeding.

Distribution

Northeastern United States.

Diet

feed on nectar and pollen from flowers.

Life Cycle

are of the "rat-tailed" —elongate with a telescoping characteristic of many Eristalinae larvae that inhabit aquatic or semi-aquatic environments.

Behavior

are commonly found on flowers. Like other , capable of remaining nearly motionless in .

Similar Taxa

  • Other Parhelophilus species share similar preferences and general ; specific distinguishing characters for P. divisus are not documented.
  • Other Eristalinae with rat-tailed larvaeLarval is shared across multiple in the ; flower-visiting is also widespread.

More Details

Rarity status

Described as a rare in available literature, with only 47 observations recorded on iNaturalist.

Taxonomic history

Originally described by Loew in 1863.

Tags

Sources and further reading