Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Diptera (True flies) ➔ Family Syrphidae (Hoverflies)
Microdon mutabilis/myrmicae
Classification:
Microdon mutabilis/myrmicae belongs to the subfamily Microdontinae, tribe Microdontini.Distribution:
Europe.Habitat:
Microdon mutabilis: Open terrain, sparsely vegetated, dry, rocky ground.Microdon myrmicae: wetlands (swamp forest, moors, wet grassland, wet heathland).
Especially in places where ant nests can be found suited for the development of the Microdon larvae.
Description:
Body length 9 - 12 mm; scutellum reddish brown; abdomen black with rows of silvery to yellow hair; arista at the base of the last antenna segment.Microdon myrmicae is on average slightly smaller than Microdon mutabilis.
Biology:
Adults fly in Europe from May to July.The larvae of the genus Microdon live in ant nests, where they feed on ant larvae, possibly also on eggs. A Microdon larva eats more than a hundred ant larvae until it pupates. The nocturnal Microdon larvae are on the prowl at night when the diurnal ant larvae are inactive. The larval stage lasts about 11 months. The pupation takes place near an exit of the ant nest.
Annotation:
Microdon mutabilis and Microdon myrmicae can only be distinguished by larval or pupal characters.References, further reading, links:
- Gerald Bothe: Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Schwebfliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) Deutschlands und der Niederlande, DJN, 1984, ISBN 3-923376-07-3
- M.C.D.Speight: Species Accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera), Glasgow 2011, Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae, vol. 65, 285 pp., Syrph the Net publications, Dublin.
- Menno Reemer, Willem Renema, Wouter van Steenis, Theo Zeegers, Aat Barendregt, John T. Smit, Mark P. van Veen, Jeroen van Steenis, Laurens van der Leij: De Nederlandse Zweefvliegen (Diptera: Syrphidae), Nederlandse Fauna 8, 2009.
- Boyd Barr: Feeding behaviour and mouthpart structure of larvae of Microdon eggeri and Microdon mutabilis (Diptera, Syrphidae). Dipterists Digest, 1995, 2 (1): 31–36.
- Anasimyia interpuncta
- Anasimyia transfuga
- Baccha elongata
- Brachyopa sp.
- Brachypalpoides lentus
- Brachypalpus laphriformis
- Brachypalpus sp.
- Brachypalpus valgus
- Ceriana conopsoides
- Ceriana vespiformis
- Chalcosyrphus femoratus
- Chalcosyrphus nemorum
- Chalcosyrphus valgus
- Cheilosia albipila
- Cheilosia albitarsis
- Cheilosia chrysocoma
- Cheilosia illustrata
- Cheilosia pagana
- Cheilosia scutellata
- Cheilosia sp.
- Chrysogaster sp.
- Chrysotoxum bicinctum
- Chrysotoxum fasciatum
- Chrysotoxum festivum
- Chrysotoxum verralli
- Criorhina berberina
- Dasysyrphus albostriatus
- Dasysyrphus sp.
- Dasysyrphus tricinctus
- Didea fasciata
- Didea intermedia
- Didea sp.
- Epistrophe diaphana
- Epistrophe eligans
- Epistrophe flava
- Epistrophe grossulariae
- Epistrophe melanostoma
- Epistrophe melanostoma/nitidicollis
- Epistrophella euchroma
- Eristalinus megacephalus
- Eristalis arbustorum
- Eristalis interrupta
- Eristalis intricaria
- Eristalis lineata
- Eristalis rupium
- Eristalis similis
- Eristalis sp.
- Eumerus purpurariae
- Eumerus sp.
- Eupeodes corollae
- Eupeodes luniger
- Eupeodes sp.
- Ferdinandea cuprea
- Helophilus hybridus
- Helophilus sp.
- Helophilus trivittatus
- Ischiodon aegyptius
- Leucozona glaucia
- Leucozona laternaria
- Leucozona lucorum
- Melangyna lasiophthalma
- Melangyna quadrimaculata
- Melangyna umbellatarum
- Melanogaster sp.
- Melanostoma scalare
- Meligramma triangulifera
- Meliscaeva cinctella
- Merodon ambiguus
- Merodon avidus
- Merodon moenium
- Merodon obscuritarsis
- Merodon sp.
- Microdon analis/major
- Microdon mutabilis/myrmicae
- Myolepta dubia
- Orthonevra sp.
- Paragus sp.
- Parasyrphus lineolus
- Parhelophilus sp.
- Pipiza austriaca
- Pipiza bimaculata
- Pipiza fenestrata
- Pipiza quadrimaculata
- Pipiza sp.
- Platycheirus rosarum
- Platycheirus sp.
- Rhingia rostrata
- Scaeva albomaculata
- Scaeva selenitica
- Sericomyia lappona
- Sphaerophoria rueppelli
- Sphaerophoria sp.
- Sphegina sp.
- Spilomyia saltuum
- Syrphus sp.
- Syrphus vitripennis
- Temnostoma bombylans
- Temnostoma meridionale
- Temnostoma vespiforme
- Tropidia scita
- Xanthogramma citrofasciatum
- Xanthogramma pedissequum
- Xylota segnis
- Xylota sp.
- Xylota sylvarum
- Aspen Hoverfly
- Band-eyed Drone Fly
- Bumblebee Hoverfly
- Common Bog Hoverfly
- Common Drone Fly
- Common Snout-hoverfly
- Deadhead Hover Fly
- Figwort Cheilosia
- Hornet Mimic Hoverfly
- Large Hoverfly
- Large Narcissus Fly
- Larger Spotty-eyed Drone Fly
- Long Hoverfly
- Marmalade Fly
- Pied Hoverfly
- Pine Hoverfly
- Snouted Duckfly
- Summer Fly
- Sun Fly
- Tapered Drone Fly
- Thick legged Hoverfly
- White-banded Drone Fly