Bird, bug, butterfly and a wild variety of photos from Belarus, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland and Spain by Irish wildlife photographer Patrick J. O'Keeffe and invited guests

Showing posts with label Volucella pellucens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Volucella pellucens. Show all posts

Thursday 9 July 2020

PELLUCID FLY [Female] (Volucella pellucens) Lullymore West Bog, IPCC Nature Reserve, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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Click here for detailed species information
The Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens), also known as Pellucid Hoverfly or Great Pied Hoverfly, is of the family Syrphidae which is in the genus Volucella. This bee mimic occurs in much of the Palearctic region, including Britain and Ireland. It is one of the larger species of hoverfly and the flight season is from May to October. 
The female lays her eggs in the nests of either the Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) or the German Wasp (Vespula germanica). When the larvae hatch they feed on nest debris which includes dead wasps and grubs. The larvae overwinter in the nest and emerge as adults in early summer.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Reference and highly recommended reading:
 Britain's Hoverflies A field guide 2nd edition Stuart Ball and Roger Morris