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As soon as it gets warmer, the insects reappear. Many people are afraid of hornets. But there is also a species that looks deceptively similar: the hornet hoverfly. We introduce you to the profile and the way of life of the hornet hoverfly.

In a nutshell

  • 16 - 22mm long
  • imitates appearance of hornet
  • harmless
  • Larvae live in hornet/wasp nests

Hornet hover fly: wanted poster

Most people have encountered hoverflies at some point. The hornet hover fly, on the other hand, is rarely encountered. Our profile therefore gives an initial overview of the insect.

  • scientific name: Volucella zonaria
  • other names: large forest hoverfly; giant bumblebee hoverfly; belt hoverfly
  • Class: Insects
  • Order: Diptera
  • Family: Hoverflies (Syrphidae)
  • Distribution: Central and Southern Europe; Asia (including Japan); western Siberia; North Africa
  • Habitat: near forests; unmown meadows; gardens; glades; parks
  • Size: 16 to 22mm
  • Blade length: 15.5 to 19.5 mm
  • Flight time: May to September
  • Food: larvae scavengers; adults from nectar and pollen of flowering plants
  • threatened: early warning list
Unfortunately, the hornet hover fly is not a frequently seen guest in the garden.

Notice: The hornet hover fly used to be considered üby the way as threatened. In the new edition of the red list, however, it is no longer considered a native species, but an immigrant. As a result, their status as threatened no longer applies. However, it is not often found.

Look

The hornet hoverfly is not related to the true hornet (Vespa crabro). They only imitate them to fool predators. This behavior is called mimicry. She did a great job on the looks in particular. You can finally recognize a hornet hoverfly by the following characteristics:

  • Face, forehead and antennae yellow
  • rust-brown compound eyes, dense and short-haired
  • red-brown, very shiny pronotum
  • Central chest shiny reddish brown
  • 1. Abdominal segment black
  • Red-yellow abdomen with two broad black bands
  • orange-yellow wings
  • black spotted coloring just before the wing tip
  • Females: yellow line between eyes
  • Male: Eyes close together, narrow forehead
At first glance, the hornet hover fly looks confusingly similar to the hornet.

Habitat of the hornet hoverfly

Hornet hoverflies not only imitate the appearance but also the behavior of real hornets. Unlike other hoverfly species, they buzz when they fly. Still, there are some differences between them and real hornets:

  • a little smaller
  • no wasp waist
  • different gait
  • Hum more like bugs
  • no sting

In addition, hornet hoverflies have a high wing beat frequency of up to 300 Hertz. Due to the hovering flight that is possible as a result, they can practically hover in one place. In terms of mimicry, however, they rarely use this ability. The adult hoverflies feed on pollen and nectar from flowering plants such as butterfly bushes, valerian, oregano or privet. Therefore, they also play an important role as pollinators.

mating and offspring

The males of the hornet hoverfly wait on food plants for approaching females. With their compound eyes, they can spot them early on. As soon as a female approaches, she will be attacked for mating. The female then lays about 40 eggs. To lay their eggs, the females enter hornet or wasp nests, rarely also bumblebee nests, and lay the eggs there on the nest wall. The larvae hatch and then develop inside the burrow. They look like this:

  • cigar shaped body
  • 20mm long
  • fleshy, hairy outgrowths on the posterior segment of the body
  • Outgrowths longer than breathing tube
  • yellow white
  • Coloration mostly covered by adhered earth particles

The larvae live in the garbage heaps of wasps, hornets or bumblebees and feed on dead and dying insects. In exceptional cases, they sometimes eat live larvae. By removing carcasses, they have a cleaning function within the nest. After molting several times, the larvae pupate in the ground. There they overwinter as pupae. The next spring they awaken as adult hornet hoverflies. The females hatch a few weeks before the males.

The larvae grow inside hornet, wasp or bumblebee nests.

Notice: It is not known how the female hornet hoverfly can successfully invade the nests of other insects. Normally, despite the mimicry, they should stand out as an intruder. It is believed that they therefore also secrete scents that disguise their true identity.

frequently asked Questions

What can I do to support the Hornet Hoverfly?

If you encounter a hornet hoverfly, allow it to look around at its leisure. They won't hurt you. If you want to actively support the hornet hoverfly, simply plant flowering plants in your garden. In addition to the above, Ross mint, scabious or dogwood are also suitable.

Are hornet hoverflies dangerous?

No. Hornet hoverflies do not have a stinger. Therefore, they cannot sting. They also cannot bite. Hornet hoverflies only have licking and sucking mouthparts. They are therefore completely harmless.

How do adult hornet hoverflies overwinter?

That is not clear. Hornet hoverflies are Mediterranean migratory flies that sometimes travel longer distances. Nevertheless, hornet hoverflies probably do not migrate south. It is not known if and how they overwinter.

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Category:

Animals in the garden