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Project Noah Nature School
Eristalis tenax
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. Large (wingspan 15mm), stocky, bee mimic. Eyes are marbled in black. Males have hovering displays. The larva of E. tenax is a rat-tailed maggot. It lives in drainage ditches, pools around manure piles, sewage, and similar places containing water badly polluted with organic matter.
Sandy dunes.
Camera Model: NIKON D300. Exposure Time: 1/640 sec.; f/13; ISO Speed Rating: 800. Exposure Bias: 0 EV. Focal Length: 300.0 mm. No flash fired
Spotted on Aug 28, 2015
Submitted on Nov 16, 2015
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