Pellucid Hover Fly (Volucella pellucens) lives in garden and woodland across Much of Europe, and across the Palearctic to Japan.
Fascinating facts about the Pellucid Hover Fly
- A female pellucid hoverfly slips into the underground paper nests of the common wasp Vespula vulgaris or the German wasp V. germanica to lay her eggs, and the wasps do not react to her presence as she passes the guarded entrance. After the eggs hatch, the larvae drop to the bottom of the nest chamber where they begin feeding as scavengers on debris. They then consume the hosts' young and any dead adult wasps, gaining nutrition from the nest's own resources.
- Mature pellucid hoverfly larvae are sometimes found on the combs of abandoned wasp nests, where they feed on dead or moribund wasp larvae and pupae that remain after the colony is deserted in autumn. Records show they have been observed feeding on these remnants left on the combs when the nest is no longer occupied. Once fully grown, the larvae abandon the combs and descend to the ground to pupate in the soil below.
- If a wasp nest is built inside the roof or walls of a house, pellucid hoverfly larvae can escape the nest and crawl about within the dwelling, appearing as tiny insects in living spaces. After this indoor wandering, the fully grown larvae exit the nest and descend to the soil where they pupate.
- Adult pellucid hoverflies survive on nectar and pollen, visiting a broad range of blossoms from May to October. They show a distinct preference for white flowers such as elder, dogwood, privet, raspberry, bramble and many Apiaceae species, while also feeding on aster, valerian, devil's-bit scabious, fireweed and nettle. Their foraging is usually performed at head height, allowing them to hover close to the flower heads.
- The front of the pellucid hoverfly's abdomen bears a broad yellow band that gives it the appearance of a bee or wasp, a form of mimicry that deters predators. This visual deception is thought to protect the fly from birds and other insectivores that avoid true wasps because of their stings. Unlike the Hymenoptera it imitates, the hoverfly has only two wings, a key difference that distinguishes it from the four-winged wasps and bees it resembles.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeMuch of Europe, and across the Palearctic to Japan
HabitatGarden and woodland
DietNectar and pollen
About the Pellucid Hover Fly
As the warm sunlight dances across the lush meadow, the Pellucid Hover Fly emerges, its iridescent wings beating at a hypnotic pace as it hovers, suspended in mid-air, a mesmerizing spectacle of aerial acrobatics. With an effortless elegance, it darts and weaves through the vibrant wildflowers, its transparent wings glimmering like stained glass as it sips nectar from each bloom, leaving a trail of wonder in its wake. In this fleeting moment, the Pellucid Hover Fly is a master of weightless flight, a whirling dervish of color and light, untethered and free.
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