Pellucid Hover Fly

Volucella pellucens is about 13–17 mm in length, with a wing length about 10–15.5 mm. This hoverfly has a broad, mainly black body, but the front part of the abdomen has a broad, yellow band, giving it the appearance of a bee or wasp. The two wings are transparent, as with most flies, but the leading edge is amber, with a brown patch on each wing. The mimicry of bees or wasps in shape and colouration is shown by other hoverflies, which is thought to protect against falling prey to birds and other insectivores that avoid eating true wasps because of their stings. However, the difference between hoverflies and wasps or bees is hoverflies have two wings, and the Hymenoptera species have four.

This species occurs in much of Europe, from Ireland and across the Palearctic to Japan. The adult V. pellucens is usually found in woodlands and wooded hedgerows, but will enter gardens.