Eristalinae

Eristalinae
Volucella zonaria ♀ specimen, dorsal perspective
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Syrphidae
Subfamily: Eristalinae
Tribes

See text

Synonyms
  • Cheilosiinae (Williston) Wirth & Stone, 1956
  • Cheilosinae (Williston) Curran, 1928
  • Chilosiinae (Williston) Malloch, 1922
  • Chilosinae Williston, 1885
  • Eristaliinae (Newman) Malloch, 1922
  • Eristalina (Newman) Rondani, 1856
  • Eristalinae (Newman) Rondani, 1857
  • Eristalites Newman, 1834
  • Eristaliti (Newman) Lioy, 1864
  • Eristilinae (Newman) Shannon, 1922

Eristalinae (or Milesiinae) are one of the four subfamilies of the fly family Syrphidae, or hoverflies. A well-known species included in this subfamily is the common drone fly, Eristalis tenax.

Species in this subfamily are often mistaken for bees due to their exceptional Batesian mimicry, especially to resemble Honeybees (family Apidae). The best strategy for proper identification is to look at their eyes and wings and compare with fly morphology, to determine membership of family Syrphidae or of order Hymenoptera.

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