Sericomyia bifasciata

Williston, 1887

Long-nosed Pond Fly

Sericomyia bifasciata, commonly known as the Long-nosed Pond , is an uncommon of fly described by Williston in 1887. It belongs to the Sericomyia, whose are known as "rat-tailed " with long breathing adapted to aquatic environments. However, the larvae of this particular species remain unknown. have been observed in the northeastern part of North America.

Sericomyia bifasciata by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Sericomyia bifasciata: //ˌsɛrɪˈkoʊmiə ˌbaɪfəˈʃiːətə//

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Identification

Distinguished from similar by the combination of: short (not bumblebee-mimic); with medial black stripe; face elongate below by more than 3/4 eye height; with yellow pile; and abdominal banding pattern (two pairs in male, three pairs in female, finger-like and widely spaced). The elongate face is particularly distinctive.

Images

Habitat

are associated with flowers. Based on -level information, Sericomyia typically inhabit bog mat pools and other aquatic environments, though the specific larval for this is unknown.

Distribution

Northeastern North America. Specific records include Vermont, United States.

Diet

feed on nectar and pollen from flowers. Larval diet unknown for this ; other Sericomyia are known to filter bacteria and microbes from matter in aquatic environments.

Life Cycle

with , , , and stages. Larval and pupal stages are unknown for this . Adults have been observed from the northeastern part of North America.

Behavior

are flower visitors, obtaining energy from nectar and from pollen. Like other , adults can remain nearly motionless in . Larval unknown; other Sericomyia possess a long extensible breathing (the "rat-tail") that connects to the water surface, allowing them to inhabit low-oxygen aquatic environments.

Ecological Role

contribute to as flower visitors. The ' overall ecological role is poorly understood due to limited knowledge of its stages.

Human Relevance

No documented direct human relevance. As with other , may contribute to of wildflowers and .

Similar Taxa

Sericomyia silentisSimilar -banded abdominal pattern, but S. bifasciata has distinctive finger-like that are widely spaced, and the elongate with medial black stripe differs from S. silentis.
Eristalis tenaxBoth are with aquatic , but E. tenax is a bumblebee mimic with dense , while S. bifasciata has short pile and does not mimic bumblebees. E. tenax also has a shorter relative to height.
Other Sericomyia speciesS. bifasciata is distinguished by the specific pattern of two (male) or three (female) pairs of finger-like abdominal with wide spacing between them, combined with the elongate and yellow scutellar .

More Details

Larval biology

While of the Sericomyia are known as "rat-tailed " with long breathing for aquatic life, the larvae of S. bifasciata specifically have not been described.

Taxonomic history

First described by Samuel Wendell Williston in 1887. The remains poorly known compared to more common .