Microdon myrmicae Schönrogge et al., 2002
(an ant hoverfly)

Interactions where Microdon myrmicae is the dominant partner and gains from the process

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Stage Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season
larva larva parasitises nest Restricted Myrmica scabrinodis an ant Hymenoptera: Formicidae The myrmecophilous fly Microdon myrmicae Schönrogge et al., 2002 (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Norway, Gammelmo, O. & Aarvik, L., 2007
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Diptera/Syrphidae/Microdon myrmicae/Microdon myrmicaean ant hoverflylarva Animal / parasite /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Myrmica scabrinodis/Myrmica scabrinodisan antnestSole

Author & YearTitleSource
Gammelmo, O. & Aarvik, L., 2007The myrmecophilous fly Microdon myrmicae Schönrogge et al., 2002 (Diptera, Syrphidae) in NorwayNJE Vol 54 (1): 43-48.

Microdon myrmicae (an ant hoverfly) may also be included in 'feeds on' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Microdon myrmicae (an ant hoverfly) may be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesMicrodon myrmicae (an ant hoverfly)
GenusMicrodon (ant hoverflies)
SubfamilyMICRODONTINAE (ant hoverflies)
FamilySYRPHIDAE (hover flies, drone flies, flower flies, hoverfly)
SuperfamilySYRPHOIDEA (hover flies, drone flies, flower flies & big-headed flies)
InfraorderEremoneura - Cyclorrhapha (an infraorder of flies)
OrderDIPTERA (two-winged flies)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Microdon myrmicae (an ant hoverfly)

Identification Works

Handling & MagnificationAuthorYearTitleSource
Gammelmo, O. & Aarvik, L. 2007 The myrmecophilous fly Microdon myrmicae Schönrogge et al., 2002 (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Norway NJE Vol 54 (1): 43-48.

Microdon myrmicae (an ant hoverfly) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may be relevant to Microdon myrmicae (an ant hoverfly):

A very localised species almost restricted to wet heaths in Surrey, the New Forest and east Dorset.

The species was only recognised as distinct from M. mutabilis in 2002 by comparison of pupae. The adults are indistinguishable but M. mutabilis is believed to be confined to Scotland, so records from southern England can be assumed to relate to the present species.

Like other members of the genus the larvae develop in ants’ nests, in this case those of Myrmica scabrinodis.

References:
Author & YearTitleSource
Ball, S. & Morris, R., 2013Britain’s Hoverflies: an introduction to the hoverflies of BritainWILDGuides, 297pp, Princeton University Press
Stubbs, A.E. & Falk, S.J., 2002British Hoverflies (ed 2)2 edition, 469pp, British Entomological and Natural History Society
Creative Commons License
This website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.

Unless otherwise expressly stated, all original material on the BioInfo website by Malcolm Storey is licensed under the above Creative Commons Licence.

BioInfo - Wildlife Information (UK)