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Project Noah Nature School
Eristalis tenax
Large (wingspan 15mm), stocky, bee mimic. Eyes are marbled in black. Males have hovering displays. The adult fly that emerges from the pupa is harmless. It looks somewhat like a drone honey bee, and likely gains some degree of protection from this resemblance to a stinging insect. The adults are called drone flies because of this resemblance. Like other hover flies, they are common visitors to flowers, especially in late summer and autumn, and can be significant pollinators.
Adults feed on flowers, especially those of carrot and fennel.
University campus Kortowo-Olsztyn.
Spotted on Jul 14, 2011
Submitted on Jul 17, 2011
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