ExploreInsects

Pellucid Hover Fly

Volucella pellucens

The Pellucid Hover Fly is a friendly insect that looks like a tiny bee but is harmless. It loves to fly around flowers and helps plants by spreading pollen.

Habitat: Urban areas

Appearance

The Pellucid Hover Fly is a large, strikingly marked fly with a glossy black body and a broad, translucent white or yellowish band across its abdomen. Its wings have a distinctive dark, smoky patch near the front, making it visually different from many other hoverflies.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderDipteraFamilySyrphidaeGenusVolucella
Pellucid Hover Fly
social trait badgeherbivorous trait badgepollinator_magnet trait badgediurnal trait badge
Pellucid Hover Fly

Category

Insects

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

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Interesting facts

Baby Pellucid Hover Flies act as secret clean-up crews inside the nests of wasps!

Pellucid Hover Flies can fly backwards and sideways with incredible speed and control!

Their name "pellucid" means clear or see-through, referring to a bright band on their body!

These flies have huge, compound eyes that wrap around their heads for amazing vision!

Special abilities

Ability

Aerial Artist

Pellucid Hover Fly can hang perfectly still in the air because of its rapid wing beats, which helps them scout for flowers or mates.

Ability

Host Haven Dweller

Pellucid Hover Fly has larvae that can live hidden inside wasp and bumblebee nests, helping them grow safely and secretly.

Ability

Disguise Master

Pellucid Hover Fly has a black and white striped body that helps them look like a stinging wasp or bee to scare away predators.

Ability

Flower Power

Pellucid Hover Fly can drink nectar and collect pollen from many flowers, helping plants make new seeds.

Measurements & details

Wingspan
24-32 mm
Size
12-16 mm
Lifespan
14-28 days
Flight Speed
10-20 km/h
Leg Count
6

Diet & Feeding

Adults sip sweet nectar and pollen from flowers, while larvae are messy eaters in social insect nests.

Age differences: Yes, adults feed on nectar and pollen, while larvae consume detritus and sometimes host larvae within social insect nests.

Primary Foods

  • Nectar
  • Pollen
  • Nest detritus
  • Wasp larvae
  • Bumblebee larvae

Foraging Method

  • Foraging

Ecological connections

depends on

Common Wasp

Vespula vulgaris

Larvae grow in their nests.

depends on

Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

Larvae also develop in their nests.

pollinates

Hogweed

Heracleum sphondylium

Adults visit its flowers for food.

eaten by

Great Tit

Parus major

Adults can be food for birds.

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Don't touch insects, but it's fun to watch them fly around!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pellucid Hover Fly's wingspan?

24-32 mm

How big is Pellucid Hover Fly?

12-16 mm

How long does Pellucid Hover Fly live?

14-28 days

How fast can Pellucid Hover Fly fly?

10-20 km/h

What does Pellucid Hover Fly eat?

Adults sip sweet nectar and pollen from flowers, while larvae are messy eaters in social insect nests.

Where is Pellucid Hover Fly usually found?

Urban areas

How does Pellucid Hover Fly hunt?

Foraging

How many legs does Pellucid Hover Fly have?

6

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Where to spot

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