General Description
Body hairy with wide black and yellow-orange stripes. Two wings. Maggot (larva) has a long tail-like breathing tube. Body up to 2 cm long.
Biology
Drone Flies feed on nectar and are important pollinators. The aquatic larvae, known as a Rat-tailed Maggots, have an extendible breathing tube that they use like a snorkel to breathe.
Distribution
South-eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania.
Habitat
On flowers (adult flies) or wet areas such as drains and sewers (larva).
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Orange and black stripes, two wings.
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Colours
Black, Brown, Yellow, Orange
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Habitats
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Diet
Herbivore
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Endemicity
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Not listed
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Taxon Name
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Scientific Author
(Linnaeus, 1758)
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Common Name
Drone Fly
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Class
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Order
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
tenax
