Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Fly

mallota posticata

The Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Fly (Mallota posticata) is a remarkable species of hoverfly native to North America. At first glance, this insect is frequently mistaken for a bumblebee due to its dense, fuzzy coat of yellow and black hairs and its robust body shape. This mimicry is a classic example of Batesian mimicry, protecting the harmless fly from predators by making it appear armed with a stinger. In reality, these flies are gentle pollinators that play a key role in forest ecosystems, visiting a wide variety of spring wild flowers. While adults spend their time in the canopy and understory searching for nectar, the larvae have a vastly different, semi-aquatic lifestyle. They develop in wet, decaying wood cavities and tree holes, where they feed on organic debris and help recycle nutrients back into the forest.

生息地: Found in mature deciduous and mixed woodlands, particularly near damp areas, swamps, and forests with older trees containing water-filled rot holes.

外見

This medium-to-large hoverfly, typically measuring 1.2 to 1.6 centimeters in length, mimics a bumblebee with a dense covering of yellow hair on its thorax and the front of its abdomen, followed by black hairs toward the rear. Its most distinguishing feature is its large compound eyes, which are covered in fine, short hairs visible under close magnification. The wings are clear with dark, well-defined veins, and because it is a true fly, it possesses only a single pair of wings and short, three-segmented antennae, unlike the four wings and long antennae of the bees it mimics.

界Animalia門Arthropoda綱Insecta目Diptera科Syrphidae属Mallota

Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Fly

カテゴリ

昆虫

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

最初にスナップしよう！

おもしろい事実

Despite looking exactly like a stinging bumblebee, this hoverfly is completely harmless and lacks a stinger entirely.

Its larvae are known as 'rat-tailed maggots' because of their long, telescopic tail-like breathing tube.

The fine hairs on its compound eyes may help detect wind currents or prevent sticky pollen from obstructing its vision.

They are incredibly agile flyer and can fly backwards and sideways to escape predators.

特殊能力

Mimics the appearance, buzzing flight sound, and behavior of bumblebees to deter avian predators.

Utilizes rapid, independent wing beat adjustments to hover perfectly still in mid-air before darting away instantly.

The aquatic larvae possess a long, retractable breathing tube that allows them to extract atmospheric oxygen while submerged in oxygen-depleted decay pools.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 12-16 cm
翼開長: 2-3 cm
体重: 0.0001-0.0003 kg
Top Speed: 15 km/h
一度の産卵数: 50-150
抱卵期間: 2-4 日

食性と食事

Adults feed primarily on the nectar and pollen of spring-blooming forest flowers, while the aquatic larvae are detritivores feeding on decaying plant matter.

年齢による違い: Larvae are aquatic detritivores that consume rotting organic material and associated microbes in tree holes, whereas adults feed exclusively on floral nectar and pollen.

主な食物

Flower nectar
Pollen
Decaying wood slurry
Microorganisms

採餌方法

Foraging

生態系とのつながり

competitor

Common Eastern Bumblebee

Bombus impatiens

The fly mimics this common stinging bee to gain protection from visual predators like birds.

host plant

White Oak

Quercus alba

Provides critical breeding habitat, as larvae develop inside the tree's wet, decaying wood cavities.

eaten by

Great Crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus crinitus

This insectivorous bird preys on adult hoverflies in the forest understory.

特徴

このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。

別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Flyを見分けるには？

Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Flyを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Flyの長さは何ですか？

12-16 cm

Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Flyの翼開長は何ですか？

2-3 cm

Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Flyの体重は何ですか？

0.0001-0.0003 kg

Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Flyのtop Speedは何ですか？

15 km/h

Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Flyは何を食べますか？

Adults feed primarily on the nectar and pollen of spring-blooming forest flowers, while the aquatic larvae are detritivores feeding on decaying plant matter.

Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Flyは通常どこに生息していますか？

Found in mature deciduous and mixed woodlands, particularly near damp areas, swamps, and forests with older trees containing water-filled rot holes.

Hairy-Eyed Bee-Mimic Flyはどのように狩りをしますか？

Foraging