The alula is a hinged flap found at the base of the wings of most brachyceran Diptera. The alula accounts for up to 10 per cent of the total wing area in hoverflies (Syrphidae), and its hinged arrangement allows the wings to be swept back over the thorax and abdomen at rest. The alula is actuated via the third axillary sclerite, which is a component of the wing hinge that is involved in wing re...

Eyes of the hoverfly Eristalis tenax are sexually dimorphic such that males have a fronto-dorsal region of large facets. In contrast to other large flies in which large facets are associated with a decreased interommatidial angle to form a dorsal "acute zone" of increased spatial resolution, we show that a dorsal region of large facets in males appears to form a "bright zone" of increased light...

Abstract Context Landscape simplification is a main driver of insect decline, threatening crop pollination services. Changes in functional features simplified agroecosystems may impact the abundance wild pollinators. Objectives Here, we studied whether different pollinator groups based on life-history are differentially associated to landscape features, and how this affects service delivery. Me...

Flower visiting Eristalis hoverflies feed on nectar and pollen and are known to rely on innate colour preferences. In addition to a preference for visiting yellow flowers, the flies possess an innate proboscis reflex elicited by chemical as well as yellow colour stimuli. In this study we show that the flies' proboscis reflex is only triggered by yellow colour stimuli and not altered by conditio...