Milesia crabroniformis
Encyclopedia
Milesia crabroniformis is a species of 'Flower Flies' or hoverflies belonging to the family Syrphidae subfamily Eristalinae
.
This species is mainly present in Belgium
, France
, Greece
, Italy
, Spain
, Portugal
, Switzerland
, in the Near East
and in North Africa
.
These rather uncommon hoverflies are the largest among the European species. The adults grow up to 22–25 mm (0.866141732283465–0.984251968503937 ) long and can mainly be encountered from June through October in evergreen and deciduous forests (Quercus and Fagus species), feeding on nectar of flowers of several plants (Apiaceae
species, Sambucus ebulus, Hedera species, Cirsium species, etc.).
They mimic the hornet
species Vespa crabro (hence the Latin name crabroniformis, meaning ‘hornet-formed’). In this species eyes of males are holoptic, although they meet along the dorsal length of the head in a very low point of contact
Their larvae develop on decaying wood and rotting cavities of old Fagus
and Quercus species.
Eristalinae
Eristalinae is one of the 3 subfamilies of the fly family Syrphidae, or hoverflies. A well-known species included in this subfamily is the dronefly, Eristalis tenax....
.
This species is mainly present in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, in the Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
and in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
These rather uncommon hoverflies are the largest among the European species. The adults grow up to 22–25 mm (0.866141732283465–0.984251968503937 ) long and can mainly be encountered from June through October in evergreen and deciduous forests (Quercus and Fagus species), feeding on nectar of flowers of several plants (Apiaceae
Apiaceae
The Apiaceae , commonly known as carrot or parsley family, is a group of mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems. The family is large, with more than 3,700 species spread across 434 genera, it is the sixteenth largest family of flowering plants...
species, Sambucus ebulus, Hedera species, Cirsium species, etc.).
They mimic the hornet
Hornet
Hornets are the largest eusocial wasps; some species can reach up to in length. The true hornets make up the genus Vespa and are distinguished from other vespines by the width of the vertex , which is proportionally larger in Vespa and by the anteriorly rounded gasters .- Life cycle :In...
species Vespa crabro (hence the Latin name crabroniformis, meaning ‘hornet-formed’). In this species eyes of males are holoptic, although they meet along the dorsal length of the head in a very low point of contact
Their larvae develop on decaying wood and rotting cavities of old Fagus
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and Quercus species.