Large Banded Bee Fly
S3, dorsal
Ellura
Large Banded Bee Fly
S6, dorsal
 
                      
Large Banded Bee Fly (Ligyra cingulata)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Flies (Diptera)
Family: Bee Fly (Bombyliidae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Large Banded Bee Fly (Ligyra cingulata)
This Photo:     🔍S4, Male, dorsal🔎

Thank you Graeme Cocks†, Tony Daley & Dr Chris Lambkin for confirming the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere
1st Live Photo on-line:
They are a large fly at ~14mm-17mm long, wing length ~16mm-18mm; giving a wingspan of ~36mm-40mm.
Chris said "variation of colour may be because of different environmental conditions under which the immatures develop, so that darker patterns result from colder developmental conditions"
She also said "Extra i-r crossvein creates square cell at end of wing = Ligyra", compared to Balaana .

Copyright © 2021-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 27-Feb-2021
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.