UK's Largest Hoverfly

[dkCambridgeshire]

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Visited Swaddywell Nature Reserve near Peterborough UK Saturday 14 Sept. to photograph Ivy Mining Bees and surprisingly heard what sounded like a bumble bee – but looked like a hornet. It's the UK's largest hoverfly, Volucella zonaria; a hornet mimic. This female specimen is approx. 25mm long with 40mm wingspan. It's a European species which is expanding its range in the UK; this is the first specimen I've managed to photograph. Very active – darting amongst flower heads feeding on nectar. Volucella zonaria breeds in common wasps' nests which it enters unhindered to deposit ova. Larvae fed on wasp nest detritus. Pupae over-winter and develop underground. 

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Leica CL APS-C ICL digital compact / 1990s vintage Leica R 100/2.8 APO Macro (manual focus) / Leitz APO 2x extender R / Novoflex R to L dumb adapter 

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[stuny]

Terrific!