Arthropods Daily – Issue No. 501

Myathropa florea is a species of fly with a wing length of 7–12 mm, known for its black and yellow patterning on the thorax and abdomen. The larvae of this species were described by Graham E. Rotheray in 1993. It is found in the Palearctic region, from Fennoscandia to Iberia and across Europe and Russia, and has been seen in North America since 2005. These flies live in various habitats like forests, farmland, parks, and gardens, and feed on bacteria in waterlogged detritus. They are known to visit different types of flowers from May to October for nectar.