Common Drone Fly

Eristalis tenax

"Eristalis tenax" is a common, migratory, cosmopolitan species of hover fly. It is the most widely distributed syrphid species in the world, and is known from all regions except the Antarctic. It has been introduced into North America and is widely established. It can be found in gardens and fields in Europe and Australia. It has also been found in the Himalayas.
Eristalis tenax covered with pollen. I saw this only one time and was able to take a picture. Never seen this sinds. This is a Drone fly or in dutch Blind Bee. which is covered with pollen. (Please zoom in on the picture to see the star like pollen). Drone Fly,Drone fly,Eristalis tenax,Geotagged,Netherlands,Spring,blinde bij,pollen

Appearance

"Eristalis tenax" is a large, stocky bee mimic. The eyes are marbled in black. Males have hovering displays. The average wing length is 9.75–13 mm and their average wingspan is 15 mm.

The exact appearance of the drone fly can vary considerably. The abdomen can vary in color from dark brown to orange. Pigmentation has an important role in the control of body temperature; the black areas down the center of the drone-flies abdomen may absorb solar radiation and so warm the dorsal blood vessel, which is right underneath.
Rat-tailed maggot Not pretty, but interesting! The rat-tailed maggot is the larvae of the Drone fly (Eristalis tenax), a bee mimic fly that although European has been introduced to America as well as South Africa and other countries. A characteristic feature of rat-tailed maggot is a tube-like, three-segmented, telescoping breathing siphon located at its posterior end. This acts like a snorkel, allowing the larva to breathe air while submerged. The siphon is usually about as long again as the maggot's body (20 mm when mature), but can be extended as long as 150 mm. This organ gives the larva its common name. It lives in stagnant, oxygen-deprived water, with a high organic content. It is fairly tolerant of pollution and can live in sewage lagoons and cesspools. This one was found in a container in our vehicle so really no idea where it came from. It was also a hasty shot as I was on my way out so sorry I did not get a front view. Poor thing seemed desperate to get away anyway. When I found it I had no idea what it was so put it on the wall in the garden which I now realise was the completely wrong place for it. I hope it survives somehow. Drone Fly,Eristalis tenax,Geotagged,South Africa,diptera,flies,hoverflies,rat-tailed maggot,south africa

Distribution

The larval form of the drone-fly, the rat-tailed maggot, is found on every continent except Antarctica, and ranges to the highest latitudes in the North. This species is not prevalent in extremely southern latitudes, neither is it common in arid areas of Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the United States, this species is found as far north as Alaska and as far south as California and Florida.
Drone Fly - face, Heesch, the Netherlands Presumed species. Found in our garden. It was very sluggish, probably near the end of its life. In dutch it is named the "Blind Bee". It's neither a bee nor is it blind. https://www.jungledragon.com/image/67643/drone_fly_heesch_the_netherlands.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/67644/drone_fly_-_closeup_heesch_the_netherlands.html With this post I'm at the end of my photo stock, I simply have nothing left :) Eristalis tenax,Europe,Heesch,Netherlands,World

Behavior

The larva of "E. tenax" is a rat-tailed maggot, which is saprophagous. It lives in drainage ditches, pools around manure piles, sewage, and similar places where water is polluted with organic matter. The larvae likely feed on the abundant bacteria living in these places.

When fully grown, the larvae creep out into drier habitats, and seek a suitable place to pupate. In doing so, they sometimes enter buildings, especially barns and basements of farm houses. The pupae are typically 10–12 mm long, grey-brown, oval, and retain the long tail; they look like a tiny mouse.

The adult fly that emerges from the pupa is harmless. It looks somewhat like a drone honey bee, and likely gains some degree of protection from this resemblance to a stinging insect. The adults are called drone flies because of this resemblance. In its natural habitat, "E. tenax" is more of a curiosity than a problem. Like other hover flies, they are common visitors to flowers, especially in late summer and autumn, and can be significant pollinators. They often feed on the flowers of carrot and fennel.

Under extremely rare conditions, there have been documented cases of human intestinal myiasis of the rat-tailed maggot. Zumpt proposed a hypothesis called "rectal myiasis". During open defecation in the wilderness, flies attracted to feces may deposit their eggs or larvae near or into the anus, and the larvae then penetrate further into the rectum. The larva can survive, feeding on feces at this site, as long as the breathing tube reaches out from the anus, which is quite rare.The eggs are normally laid on surface water and go through three distinct larval stages. The larvae are usually found in still or stagnant water, like water reservoirs or liquid dung. Just before the pupation stage, the larvae leave their aquatic environment.There are still many gaps in the understanding of the drone fly life cycle, and more detailed research is needed.
Eristalis_tenax Eristalis tenax,Geotagged,Netherlands,Summer

Reproduction

The larva is aquatic. It has a cylindrical shape with patches of horizontal folds that divide the body into segments. At each of the segments, two rows of flexible hairs are visible. All drone-fly larvae have a siphon on their posterior end that acts as a respiratory mechanism and looks like a tail, hence the common name, rat-tail maggot. The siphon can be several times the length of the larva's body.The eggs are deposited near the surface of foul water or decaying organic material. The eggs are laid side by side, perpendicular to the ground. It is still unknown how long it takes for the eggs to hatch.The larvae are aquatic, but there must be enough solid food for the larva to complete development. This is why they are found in water with high levels of organic matter. The siphon on the back of the larvae remains at the surface of the water while the larva moves throughout the water. This allows for the larva to search for food without having to go to the surface to breathe. It has been reported that the larvae can reproduce by neoteny or paedogenesis, where the larva copies itself. There has only been one observation of this happening.Mating can happen while a pair of "E. tenax" is flying, with the male uppermost, or on the ground while the female fly is resting on foliage. After mating, the adult female lays clusters of about 10 eggs near dirty, contaminated water, sewage, or decomposing organic substances.
Drone Fly - Eristalis tenax Animal,Animalia,Arthropoda,Diptera,Drone fly,Eristalis tenax,Europe,Geotagged,Hoverfly,Insect,Insecta,Italy,Nature,Riserva naturale della Val Rosandra,Spring,Syrphid fly,Syrphidae,Wildlife

Food

The diet of "Eristalis tenax" consists mostly of nectar and the pollen of flowers. During the imago stage, the fly drinks mostly nectar, but will take a little water when it is presented.

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