A very distinctive, medium-sized fly with a strongly protruding lower face and striped thorax. Males have large orange patches on the sides of tergite
A very distinctive, medium-sized fly with a strongly protruding lower face and striped thorax. Males have large orange patches on the sides of tergites 3 and 4 (=apparent tergites 2 and 3) but females only have grey dust patches here. The sexual dimorphism is similar to that of the Face Fly (Musca autumnalis) and it can sometimes be mistaken for that species or a hoverfly. S. lunata is a highly mobile and migratory species that is being found increasingly frequently in southern England. Records extend to Sutherland but are most frequent south of the Thames. The larvae develop as predators of locust egg pods, and it is not thought that it can use any British grasshopper, so is best regarded as a pure vagrant in Britain. Adults visit the flowers of umbellifers, composites, mints etc. The biology is summarised by Greathead (2009) Las larvas se alimentan de los huevos de los saltamontes, contribuyendo a su control.
Size: 5568px × 3712px
Photo credit: © Roberto Colino / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: animales, animals, bizkaia, calliphoridae, diptera, españ, europa, europe, hedera, helix, insecting, insectos, insects, invertebrados, invertebrates, lugares, lunata, plantas, sopuerta, spain, stomorhina, wildlife
