What is this hoverfly doing?

Dave McCormick · Post by **Dave McCormick** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:31 am

I was in garden testing out my new canon 600D with Sigma 105mm Macro lens and took a photo of this hoverfly (not the best image) but noticed from the photo, it seems to be shooting something out of its mouth. At first I thought it was a spider web just beside the fly, but you can clearly see its coming from its mouth. Anyone know what is going on here?

: Hoverfly

Closeup:

: Hoverfly close up

MikeOxon · Post by **MikeOxon** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:56 am

Fascinating photo! Like you, I first assumed this was a bit of spider thread but Gilbert mentions this behaviour in his paper on Foraging Ecology of Hoverflies - see: http://ecology.nottingham.ac.uk/~plzfg/ ... rphids.pdf

He writes that it is sometimes possible to see the flies spitting fluid onto a nectary, producing a medium in which the nectar sugar can dissolve.

I've not see a photo of this behaviour before!

Mike

Paul Wetton · Post by **Paul Wetton** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 3:23 pm

Superb behavioural shot.

Looks a bit like Episyrphus balteatus which is a common migrant hoverfly in this country but difficult to tell with its wings closed.

David M · Post by **David M** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 6:37 pm

Top shot! You learn something new every day.

Dave McCormick · Post by **Dave McCormick** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:29 pm

Thanks all, interesting behaviour and interesting what a quick snap can get you

What is this hoverfly doing?

What is this hoverfly doing?

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