Powered by
TranslateStomorhina Lunata
Stomorhina Lunata. (Fabricius, 1805).
Length 5 to 9 mm, wingspan 13 to 16mm.
Family: Calliphoridae
Flight period: July to October.
A medium sized blowfly, often mistaken for a hoverfly because of it has a similar band pattern on the abdomen.
Widespread across Europe, Stomorhina Lunata is more common where locusts and grasshoppers are found.
Habitat: Grasslands, where they are able to hunt for the eggs of locusts and grasshoppers.
This fly is a very important predator of some major insect pests found in Africa. These being: The South African Brown Locust, (Locustana pardalina), the migratory locus (Locustana migratoria) and the widespread Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria),
Adults are migratory and are frequently found feeding on nectar and pollen of umbellifer flowers (Apiaceae) and Asteraceae species, mainly being Scorzoneroides autumnalis, commonly called autumn hawkbi. Also, Tanacetum vulgare, Anthriscus sylvestris, Erysimum cheiranthoides and Filipendula ulmaria.
This species has a distinguishable characteristic, being a prominent proboscis as well as the eyes being striped. Males differ by having large orange patches on the sides of tergites 3 and 4. The females lack the orange patches on tergites 3 and 4 as these are more greyish in colour.
In the images below you can see both male and female.
Read MoreLength 5 to 9 mm, wingspan 13 to 16mm.
Family: Calliphoridae
Flight period: July to October.
A medium sized blowfly, often mistaken for a hoverfly because of it has a similar band pattern on the abdomen.
Widespread across Europe, Stomorhina Lunata is more common where locusts and grasshoppers are found.
Habitat: Grasslands, where they are able to hunt for the eggs of locusts and grasshoppers.
This fly is a very important predator of some major insect pests found in Africa. These being: The South African Brown Locust, (Locustana pardalina), the migratory locus (Locustana migratoria) and the widespread Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria),
Adults are migratory and are frequently found feeding on nectar and pollen of umbellifer flowers (Apiaceae) and Asteraceae species, mainly being Scorzoneroides autumnalis, commonly called autumn hawkbi. Also, Tanacetum vulgare, Anthriscus sylvestris, Erysimum cheiranthoides and Filipendula ulmaria.
This species has a distinguishable characteristic, being a prominent proboscis as well as the eyes being striped. Males differ by having large orange patches on the sides of tergites 3 and 4. The females lack the orange patches on tergites 3 and 4 as these are more greyish in colour.
In the images below you can see both male and female.
