Eumerus funeralis

Meigen, 1822

Lesser Bulb Fly

Eumerus funeralis, commonly known as the Lesser Bulb Fly, is a small hoverfly in the Syrphidae. Originally described from the Mediterranean basin, it has become in distribution, particularly widespread in the Palaearctic and Nearctic regions. The is notable for its phytophagous larvae, which develop in damaged bulbs and are recognized as a minor pest of ornamental plants including Narcissus, Hyacinthus, and Amaryllis.

Eumerus funeralis by (c) Bill Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Eumerus funeralis - strigatus - Flickr - gailhampshire (1) by gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Eumerus funeralis-strigatus (male) - Flickr - S. Rae (5) by S. Rae from Scotland, UK. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Eumerus funeralis: /ˈjuːmɛrəs fjʊˈnɛrəlɪs/

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

Identification

Distinguished from related Eumerus by the combination of: dark brown to blackish wing stigma; 3 with small process at base plus bare shiny area; female with large squarish shiny area (not narrowed anteriorly); and entirely blackish tergites lacking red-brown markings. Previously confused with E. strigatus, but reinstated as valid species by Speight et al. (1998).

Images

Appearance

Wing length 3.5–6 mm. Stigma dark brown to blackish. 3 with small process at base, with bare shiny area to this projection. Female with large squarish shiny area occupying entire width except for narrow white dust strips against margin. Tergites blackish without red-brown markings. Male genitalia figured in Van Veen (2004); larva illustrated in Rotheray (1993).

Habitat

Open ground, dry grassland, and clearings in dry woodland. Also occurs in suburban gardens and horticultural land.

Distribution

Originated in Mediterranean basin; now . Widespread in Palaearctic and Nearctic regions. Records from Belgium (Flemish Region, Walloon Region, Brussels-Capital Region).

Seasonality

active April to September, with peaks in June and August.

Diet

visit flowers including Euphorbia, Fragaria, Leucanthemum, and Ranunculus. Larvae phytophagous, feeding in damaged bulbs.

Host Associations

Narcissus - minor pest — larval in bulbsornamental plant
Hyacinthus - minor pest — larval in bulbsornamental plant
Amaryllis - minor pest — larval in bulbsornamental plant

Life Cycle

Larval stage develops within damaged bulbs of plants. Specific details not documented in available sources.

Ecological Role

Minor agricultural pest of ornamental bulb crops. pollination activity at flowers. Larval herbivory in damaged bulb tissue.

Human Relevance

Recognized as minor pest of ornamental bulb plants (Narcissus, Hyacinthus, Amaryllis). No major economic significance reported.

Similar Taxa

Eumerus strigatus (Fallen)Previously treated as ; distinguished by morphological details of 3 and pattern
Eumerus tuberculatus RondaniE. funeralis represents the correct name for tuberculatus sensu auctorum, not the true tuberculatus

Misconceptions

E. funeralis was long treated as a synonym of E. strigatus in Peck (1988), but this was taxonomically incorrect. The was reinstated as the valid name for the previously misidentified as tuberculatus Rondani.