Microdon (genus)
1 An ant dependent hover fly at Amaroo, ACT
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| Microdon (genus) | 7 May 2025 | MichaelMulvaney | ||
| Formicidae (family) | 8 Feb 2025 | Hejor1 |
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User's notes
under tree bark. The larvae are in the sleeping bag/container things and were hastily moved when I disturbed them.
4 comments
Hejor1
wrote:
4 May 2025
@MichaelMulvaney and @JonLewis do you think this could be Microdon pupal cases which the ants seem to be hanging around or repurposing? Multiple cases had larvae in them which were carried away when I peeled the bark back.
https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Microdon#/media/File%3AMicrodon_(Syrphidae)_empty_pupal_case%2C_Cape_Otway%2C_Victoria%2C_Australia_(Nick_Porch).jpg
https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Microdon#/media/File%3AMicrodon_(Syrphidae)_empty_pupal_case%2C_Cape_Otway%2C_Victoria%2C_Australia_(Nick_Porch).jpg
MichaelMulvaney
wrote:
5 May 2025
Yes Heather very much looks liek it and helps with some other sightings that I didn't have a clue what they where - will wait Jon's views
JonLewis
wrote:
6 May 2025
@Hejor1 @MichaelMulvaney
This is a very interesting sighting. I knew nothing about this genus of hover flies and certainly had no idea that they are ant parasites. From a quick search it looks like there is not much information on the host ants, which here I would guess are Technomyrmex. When I get back in the office (some weeks away) I’ll do a bit more research. How did you know they were Microdon pupal cases Hejor?
This is a very interesting sighting. I knew nothing about this genus of hover flies and certainly had no idea that they are ant parasites. From a quick search it looks like there is not much information on the host ants, which here I would guess are Technomyrmex. When I get back in the office (some weeks away) I’ll do a bit more research. How did you know they were Microdon pupal cases Hejor?
Location information
- Coordinates 149.129328-35.174036
- Altitude 617.5m
- Maps Yerrabi Pond
- Places Amaroo, ACT
Sighting information
- 16 - 100 Abundance
- 8 Feb 2025 12:53 PM Recorded on
- Hejor1 Recorded by
- Larvae or nymphs Breeding behaviour
- Less than 5mm Animal size
Collections
- Hejor1 NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Hover flies (Syrphidae) True flies (Diptera) Insects Microdon (genus)
Species information
- Microdon (genus) Scientific name
- An ant dependent hover fly Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- 617.48m Recorded at altitude
Record quality
Quality score
6 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species