Saproxylic-larvae
Guides
Temnostoma daochus
Yellow-spotted Falsehorn
Temnostoma daochus is a rare syrphid fly species in the eastern United States, notable for its elaborate Batesian mimicry of solitary mason wasps. It exhibits both morphological and behavioral mimicry, including darkened wing edges that imitate vespid wing folds and deliberate foreleg movements that mimic wasp antennae. The species is closely related to T. barberi, with which it forms a lineage sister to the rest of the genus. Larvae develop in moist decayed wood.