[Syrphidae] A larva eating an imago

[Menno Reemer]

I have recently seen similar images of a Melanostoma larva apparently attacking an adult Sphaerophoria scripta.
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From: Syrphidae <syrphidae-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk> on behalf of Francis Gilbert <Francis.Gilbert at nottingham.ac.uk>
Sent: Friday, November 24, 2023 1:31 PM
To: ximo mengual sanchis <xmengual at gmail.com>; Hoverfly discussion list <syrphidae at lists.nottingham.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: [Syrphidae] A larva eating an imago


hi Ximo



I am sure this is well within the realms of possibility for many predatory syrphids, but probably the chances of capture are normally very low. Once place where the chances are much higher is in a wasp colony breaking down at the end of the season, when the workers become lethargic, and Volucella pellucens larvae come up into the comb and attack the remaining grubs and sometimes the workers too. Robert Blackith described this to me in a wasp colony he was watching in Ireland (attached).



Francis





Professor Francis Gilbert

Division of Cells, Organisms & Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham

B132 Life Sciences Building, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD

Tel: 0115 951 3215

website: www.nottingham.ac.uk/~plzfg



From: Syrphidae <syrphidae-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk> On Behalf Of ximo mengual sanchis
Sent: 24 November 2023 13:01
To: Hoverfly discussion list <syrphidae at lists.nottingham.ac.uk>
Subject: [Syrphidae] A larva eating an imago



Dear all,



Check these images please, and let me know what you think:



https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90016665



This behavior was previously described for a Neotropical species:

https://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-77442010000400009



Sure you have ideas about it.



Cheers,



Ximo



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Dr. Ximo Mengual
Head of the Diptera Section
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig
Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels

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