Natural History

Callicera spinolae

Callicera spinolae, also known as the ivy hoverfly or golden hoverfly, is a species of syrphid fly within the genus Callicera and family Syrphidae. It was first described by Italian entomologist Camillo Rondani in 1844. Like most species within the family Syrphidae, C. spinolae are mimics of stinging wasps and bees. This mimicry has evolved in order to fool predators as the species mimicked are associated with an unpleasant taste and nasty sting. This specific kind of mimicry is also known as Batesian mimicry. It has been placed onto the UK Biodiversity Action Plan list of priority species.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸Bug Landscape Park
• ▸1893 Atlantic hurricane season
• ▸Anoplotheriidae

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Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.