About the only information I could find on this little Syrphid fly was that it is a beneficial insect. It's larvae are aphid predators. Females lay their eggs in aphid colonies. A BugGuide image shows a female ovipositing on an aphid.
BugGuide: Species Ocyptamus fuscipennis
BugGuide: Genus Ocyptamus
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12 comments:
Great photos Marvin. I think I have seen a similar if not the same fly around here.
I like it when pretty things are beneficial.
I have not hear of a flower fly before Marvin so this is a new one for me. Great capture and pictures.
I like Bug Guide Net too. And I use it when I come upon something interesting.
I like the looks of this fly.
How pretty. Very unusual colour.
Great looking bug. I've not seen one before.
Thanks to everyone for their comments.
Abe: I'd be totally lost without BugGuide.
Joan: Flower Fly is just a very broad common name that is used to include all the hover and drone flies. While their larvae are usually predators or parasites, the adult flies consume nectar and pollen and are often seen on or around flowers. They are wasp-mimics to one degree or another. According to the University of Kentucky, all flower flies have a spurious vein in their wings (i. e. a wing vein that ends without connecting to any other vein).
wow... a fly after my own heart! :)
Great camera work Marvin.
It's different and beautiful. I observed some species of flower flies in our area, but never saw the specie you presented here.
This fly looks dainty -and what a beautiful color!
Such lovely coloring!
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