David Element
Wildlife
Photography and Digital Video Images
_______________________________________________________________________________________________ Flies 14 – Parhelophilus frutetorum
HOVERFLY Parhelophilus
fruteorum (m)
HOVERFLY Parhelophilus
fruteorum (m)
HOVERFLY Parhelophilus
fruteorum
(m)
·
The
most significant identification feature of the hoverfly Parhelophilius
frutetorum is a small projection underneath
the hind femurs of the male flies, tipped with bristles. With such a large
surface area it would seem likely that this structure could have a role in
pheromone distribution (the author would be happy to be advised about this by
experts). This projection may be seen with the aid of magnification when attempting
to separate the three similar British members of this genus in the field.
Fortunately, this characteristic is clearly visible in the first photograph of
this series, note that the fly needs to be seen from underneath to be able to confirm
its presence, so as is often the case with difficult to identify insects it
pays to take photographs from several different angles. Note that (unusually) the
eyes of the males do not meet at the top of the head in Parhelophilus
hoverflies.
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