|
| |
Family Syrphidae
- This page contains pictures and information about Drone Flies in subfamily Eristalinae that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
-
Tribe Eristalini
- The hover flies in this tribe are medium in size. They have scout body with
black stripes on yellow colours. They resemble small bees.
-
- Native Drone Fly I
- Eristalinus sp., Eristalini, Eristalina, body length 10mm
- Pictures were taken in Wishart Outlook along Bulimba Creek during a very hot day
in late summer. When flying the fly produced
loud buzz similar to bees buzzing. More information can be found in this page.
-
-
- Native Drone Fly II
 - Eristalinus sp., Eristalini, Eristalina, body length 10mm
- The fly was found hovering among leaves. When rest, it stay on the bottom
side of leaf. There are more pictures and information in this page.
-
-
- Golden Drone Fly
-
- Eristalinus sp., Eristalini, Eristalina, body length 8mm.
- The Drone fly in appearance bears a close
resemblance to a honeybee. The larva has a long thin tail, thus, called a
Rat-tailed Maggot. The rat-tailed maggot usually breeds in drains, sewage
pools, and other stagnant water. Please check this page
for more information
-
-
- Green Hoverfly
 - Austalis sp., Eristalini, Eristalina, body length 8mm.
- We found many of them in Yugarapul
Park during early summer.
-
-
- Black Hoverfly
 - Austalis sp., Eristalini, Eristalina, body length 8mm.
- Picture taken in Alexandra Hill near the creek during early summer.
-
-
- Wasp-mimicking Hoverfly
 
- Mesembrius sp. Eristalini, Helophilina, body length 10mm,
female, male
- We often found this wasp-mimic fly in bush during early summer. It has dark colour wings, yellow and
black bands body and large eyes, the warning colours just good enough to mimic
a wasp. But it has short
antenna, one pair of wings and those tell it is a fly. Please click on here
for more information. Please check this page for
more information.
-
Tribe Merodontini
- Native-bee-mimic Fly
 
- Eumerus sp., body length 6mm
- This hoverfly is relatively smaller. We saw them only once in Alexandra
Hill during late summer. We saw some of them feeding on the pink wild flowers Grass Lily,
( also known as Slug Herb or Blue Murdannia, Murdannia
graminea, family Campanulaceae). This flower is common in Alexandra
Hill. Please check this page for more
photos and information.
-
-
- Small Black Hover Fly
 - Psilota sp., body length 8mm
- Pictures taken in Karawatha Forest on Sep 2010. Thank to Gerard for
advising the ID of this species.
Tribe Cerioidini
- Wasp-mimic Hoverfly
- Ceriana ornata australis, (Cerioides sp.), Cerioidini,
body length 12mm
- Pictures were taken in Karawatha Forest near the Lagoon on
Sep 2010. There were a few of them on a large gum tree trunk. They rested on
the tree trunk and dip its abdomen on the bark surface regularly, seemed
putting some invisible marks on the tree trunk. We did not known what exactly
they were doing. We have more information on this page.
- Reference:
- 1. Insects
of Australia - CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University
Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p763.
- 2. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus
& Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p368.
- 3. Family SYRPHIDAE -
Australasian/Oceanian Diptera Catalog - Web Version, by F. Christian Thompson & J.R. Vockeroth, 2007.
- 4. Syrphidae - Graeme's Insects of Townsville, Australia.
- 5. Northern
Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.
- Back to Top
-
- [ Up ] [ Syrphinae ] [ Eristalinae ] [ Microdontinae ] [ Others ]
| |
|
