four-speckled hover fly

(Dioprosopa clavata)

Conservation Status
four-speckled hover fly
Photo by Bill Reynolds
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

not listed

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Four-speckled hover fly is a medium-sized, 5 16 to ½ long, syrphid fly. The female is slightly smaller than the male.

The compound eyes are reddish-brown are bare, not hairy. On the male the eyes meet near the top of the face. On the female the eyes do not meet. The antennae are brownish and short.

The thorax is black with no yellow spots. The plate between the thorax and the abdomen (scutellum) is black with yellow marks at the front and rear. The legs are yellow and black.

The narrow first segment of the abdomen is black with a bluish iridescence. The second, third, and fourth segments are black with one yellow mark on each side. The tip of the abdomen is rounded in males, pointed in females.

The wings are clear.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Total length: 5 16 to ½

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

 

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Season

 
 

 

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

 

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

 

 
     
 

Larva Food

 
 

Aphids

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

Flower nectar and pollen; aphid honeydew

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

24, 30.

 
  10/1/2014      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common and widespread

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Diptera (flies)  
 

Suborder

Brachycera  
 

Infraorder

Muscomorpha  
  No Rank Eremoneura  
  No Rank Cyclorrhapha  
  No Rank Aschiza  
 

Superfamily

Syrphoidea  
 

Family

Syrphidae (hover flies)  
 

Subfamily

Syrphinae (typical hover flies)  
 

Tribe

Syrphini  
  Subtribe    
 

Genus

Dioprosopa  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Baccha babista

Baccha fusciventris

Baccha varia

Conops quadrimaculata

Pseudodoros clavatus

Spazigaster bacchoides

Syrphus clavatus

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

four-speckled hover fly

 
       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Scutellum

The exoskeletal plate covering the rearward (posterior) part of the middle segment of the thorax in some insects. In Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Homoptera, the dorsal, often triangular plate behind the pronotum and between the bases of the front wings. In Diptera, the exoskeletal plate between the abdomen and the thorax.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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Bill Reynolds

 
    four-speckled hover fly      
           
 
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slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
  Syrphid Fly - Larva, Emerging from Pupa, and Preparing to Fly (male Dioprosopa clavata)
Nature in Motion
 
   
 
About

Published on Oct 7, 2017

This Syrphid Fly (AKA Hover or Flower Fly) is beneficial in both the larval and adult stages. Larvae voraciously feed on Aphids; adults are native pollinators. Larvae are found in Aphid colonies, so using any type of pesticide on Aphids will also destroy their natural predators and decrease the population of native pollinators. The larva in this video had stopped feeding and then released a gooey black blob in advance of pupating. (I don't understand its reaction to the black blob.) It took around 3 hours after emergence to prepare for flight. Note the fluid moving in the abdomen and the close view of its proboscis (feeding tube). This beautiful male was released in my garden. Guest appearance by a Leafhopper. Filmed with a digital microscope and a Sony AX100 from September 29 - October 7, 2017 in the Missouri Ozarks, USA.

Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Syrphid Flies (Syrphidae) » Syrphinae » Syrphini » Dioprosopa » Dioprosopa clavata - MALE

Music: Canon in D Major by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100301
Artist: http://incompetech.com/

 
       

 

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  Bill Reynolds
9/1/2014

Location: Pennington Co.

four-speckled hover fly  
           
 
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Created 10/1/2014

Last Updated:

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