Waisted Wasp-mimic Hoverfly - Microdon variegatus
Family Syrphidae
This page contains pictures and information about Waisted Wasp-mimic Hoverflies that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Body length 6mm
- This Hover Fly has the pedunculate wasp-like abdomen. It has the wasp colour pattern with dark drown and golden yellow hairs, It has the very long antenna with third segment especially long. Wings is darkened along veins and distinctly spotted. Legs are orange brown with coxae and bases of femora in dark colour.
- From reference information their larvae and pupae occur in ants nest.
- We found this Hover Fly once in Yugarapul Park next to the Bulimba Creek on Sep 2010.
- Reference:
- 1. Northern Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.
- 2. A generic conspectus of the Microdontinae (Diptera: Syrphidae) with the description of two new genera from Africa and China - XIN-YUE CHENG & F. CHRISTIAN THOMPSON, Zootaxa 1879: 21–48 (2008).
- 3. Revision of Australian Syrphidae (Diptera). Part I - Ferguson, E.W. 1926, Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 51: 137-183 [160].
- 4. Species Microdon variegatus (Walker, 1852) - Australian Biological Resources Study, Australian Faunal Directory.
- 5. Notes on Australian Diptera.—XXII. XXII. Key to Australian Microdon species (Syrphidae, Diptera) - Paramonov, S.J. 1957, Annals and Magazine of Natural History 12 9: 812-816 [815].
