''Volucella'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often

territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...

. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and are often seen sunning on leaves. The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of most species live in nests of bumblebees and social wasps, where they are

detritivore Detritivores (also known as detrivores, detritophages, detritus feeders or detritus eaters) are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus (decomposing plant and animal parts as well as feces). There are many kinds of invertebrates, ...

s and larval predators.

Selected species

*''

Volucella abdita ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-fly, hover-flies. They have distinctive Wiktionary:plumose, plumose Arista (biology), aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly Insect migration, migratory and mal ...

'' Violovich, 1978 *''

Volucella anastasia ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...

, 1946 *''

Volucella arctica ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

Johnson Johnson may refer to: People and fictional characters *Johnson (surname), a common surname in English * Johnson (given name), a list of people * List of people with surname Johnson, including fictional characters *Johnson (composer) (1953–2011) ...

, 1916 *''

Volucella bombylans ''Volucella bombylans'' is a large species of hoverfly belonging to the family Syrphidae. Distribution This species is present in most of Europe, in the East Palearctic realm, in the Near East and in the Nearctic realm. Habitat These hoverflie ...

'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...

) *''

Volucella dracaena ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

'' Curran *''

Volucella elegans ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

'' Loew, 1862 *''

Volucella eugenia ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

'' Williston, 1887 *''

Volucella evecta ''Volucella evecta'', the eastern swiftwing, is an uncommon species of hoverfly that has been considered a subspecies of ''Volucella bombylans'', but has been shown to be a distinct species. This species is a bumblebee mimic. It resembles a numbe ...

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 * ...

, 1852 *''

Volucella facialis ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

'' Williston, 1882 *''

Volucella flavizona ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

'' Cheng, 2012 *''

Volucella galbicorpus ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

'' Cheng, 2012 *''

Volucella inanis ''Volucella inanis'' is a species of hoverfly belonging to the family Syrphidae. Distribution This species is present in most of Europe, in eastern Palearctic realm, in the Near East and in North Africa. Description The adults reach long. Th ...

'' (

) *'' Volucella inflata'' (

Fabricius Fabricius (, ) is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *people from the Ancient Roman Fabricia gens, gens Fabricia: **Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, the first of the Fabricii to move to Rome * Johann Goldsmid (1587–1616), known by his ...

, 1794) *''

Volucella jeddona ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

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 ...

, 1875 *'' Volucella latifasciata'' Cheng, 2012 *'' Volucella linearis''

, 1849 *'' Volucella liquida'' Erichson in Wagner, 1841 *''

Volucella lutzi ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

'' Curran, 1930 *''

Volucella matsumurai ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

'' Han & Choi, 2001 *'' Volucella nigricans'' Coquillett, 1898 *'' Volucella nigropicta'' Portschinsky, 1884 *''

Volucella pellucens ''Volucella pellucens'', the pellucid fly, is a hoverfly. Distribution and habitat This species occurs in much of Europe, and across the Palearctic to Japan. The adult ''V. pellucens'' is usually found in woodlands and wooded hedgerows, but will ...

'' (

) *''

Volucella plumatoides ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

'' Hervé-Bazin, 1923 *''

Volucella suzukii ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

'' Matsumura, 1916 *'' Volucella tau''

, 1883 *''

Volucella unipunctata ''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...

'' Curran, 1926 *''

Volucella zonaria ''Volucella zonaria'', the hornet mimic hoverfly, is a species of hoverfly. These flies are capable of buzz pollination. Distribution This species is present in most of Europe, in Tunisia, Iran, Russia (to Far East) and in Mongolia. In Great Br ...

'' ( Poda, 1761)

Gallery

File:Humleblomfluga02054.jpg, ''

'' var. ''bombylans'' female File:Volucella bombylans.jpg, ''Volucella bombylans'' var. ''plumata'' female File:Volucella inanis 20020718.jpg, ''

'' female File:Volucella pellucens, 2006-07-22.JPG, ''

'' female File:Volucella fg05.jpg, '' Volucella inflata'' female File:Volucella September 2007-2.jpg, ''

'' female

References

Diptera of Asia Diptera of Europe Hoverfly genera Taxa named by Étienne Louis Geoffroy {{Eristalinae-stub