# 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. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Pellucid Hover Fly](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/F%C3%B6nsterblomfluga5497.jpg&width=800) Photo: Martin Andersson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F%C3%B6nsterblomfluga5497.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Diptera - **Family:** Syrphidae - **Genus:** Volucella ## 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 - **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. - **Host Haven Dweller:** Pellucid Hover Fly has larvae that can live hidden inside wasp and bumblebee nests, helping them grow safely and secretly. - **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. - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hogweed) (*Heracleum sphondylium*) — Adults visit its flowers for food. - **Eaten by:** [Great Tit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-tit) (*Parus major*) — Adults can be food for birds. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't touch insects, but it's fun to watch them fly around! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Pellucid Hover Fly? Look for six legs, antennae, three body sections and the shape of the wings. Beetles have hardened front wings; flies have just one working pair. Tiny insects may need a close view before their group is clear. Insect Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### 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 ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Pellucid Hover Fly: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pellucid-hover-fly)