Eristalini is a

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

hoverflies Hoverflies, also called flower flies or syrphids, make up the insect family (biology), family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen Hover (behaviour), hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed main ...

. Several species are well-known honeybee

mimic In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. In the simples ...

s, such as the drone fly ''

Eristalis tenax ''Eristalis tenax'', the common drone fly, is a common, migratory, Cosmopolitan species, cosmopolitan species of hover fly. It is the most widely distributed syrphid species in the world, and is known from all regions except the Antarctic. It has ...

'', while other genera such as '' Helophilus'' and '' Parhelophilus'' exhibit

wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder ...

-like patterns of yellow and black stripes, both strategies to avoid predation by visual predators such as birds. They breed in decaying organic materials such as run-offs from dung heaps ('' Eristalis'') or in ponds and ditches (e.g. '' Anasimyia''). Some others, such as '' Myathropa'' and '' Mallota'', breed in wet rotting tree stumps and rot holes. A characteristic feature of this tribe is the "

rat-tailed maggot Rat-tailed maggots are the larvae of certain species of hoverflies belonging to the tribes Eristalini and Sericomyiini. A characteristic feature of rat-tailed maggots is a tube-like, telescoping breathing siphon located at their posterior end. ...

" with a rear positioned telescopic breathing tube, allowing the larvae to breathe while living submerged in water or mud. This feature is also shared with another hoverfly tribe the

Sericomyiini ''Sericomyiini'' is a tribe (biology), tribe of hoverflies consisting mainly of large ''bumblebee'' or ''wasp'' mimics. As with Eristalini the larvae have a telescopic breathing tube which allows them to breathe while submerged in boggy areas. T ...

though those flies do not share the characteristic eristaline dip in wing vein R4+5.

List of genera

Thompson considers the tribe

a subtribe of the Eristalini while others separate it. Subtribe: Eristalina * '' Austalis''

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson Lantion, Filipino retired police general * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia * Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thom ...

& Vockeroth, 2003 * '' Axona''

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

, 1864 * ''

Digulia ''Digulia'' is a monotypic genus of hoverfly from the family Syrphidae, in the order fly, Diptera. The single species, ''D. kochi'', is found in New Guinea. References

Hoverfly genera Monotypic Brachycera genera Eristalini Insects of New ...

'' Meijere, 1913 * '' Dissoptera'' Edwards, 1915 * '' Eristalinus''

Rondani Rondani is an Italian surname. Notable people having this name include: * Camillo Rondani, (1808–1879), an Italian entomologist noted for his studies of Diptera * Giovanni Maria Francesco Rondani Giovanni Maria Francesco Rondani (15 July 1490 � ...

, 1845 * '' Eristalis'' Latreille, 1804 * '' Keda'' Curran, 1931 * '' Kertesziomyia'' Shiraki, 1930 * '' Lycastrirhyncha''

Bigot Discrimination is the process of making unfair or prejudicial distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong, such as race, gender, age, class, religion, or sexu ...

, 1859 * '' Meromacroides'' Curran, 1927 * '' Meromacrus''

, 1849 * '' Palpada'' Macquart, 1834 * '' Phytomia'' Guerin-Meneville, 1833 * '' Senaspis'' Macquart, 1850 * '' Simoides'' Loew, 1858 * '' Solenaspis'' Osten Sacken, 1881 Subtribe: Helophilina * '' Anasimyia'' Schiner, 1864 * '' Austrophilus''

, 2000 * '' Chasmomma'' Bezzi, 1915 * '' Dolichogyna'' Macquart, 1842 * '' Habromyia'' Williston, 1888 * '' Helophilus'' Meigen, 1822 * ''

Lejops ''Lejops'' is a genus of hoverflies Hoverflies, also called flower flies or syrphids, make up the insect family (biology), family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen Hover (behaviour), hovering or nectaring at flower ...

, 1857 * '' Mallota'' Meigen, 1822 * '' Mesembrius''

, 1857 * '' Myathropa''

, 1845 * '' Ohmyia''

, 1999 * '' Parhelophilus'' Girschner, 1897 * '' Quichuana'' Knab, 1913

References

Eristalini Brachycera tribes {{Eristalini-stub