Pellucid Fly - Volucella pellucens

Click here to support NatureSpot by making a donation - small or large - your gift is very much appreciated. Thank you.
Description

Sometimes called the Pellucid Hoverfly, this is one of the largest flies in Britain. It has a striking ivory-white band across its middle and large dark spots on its wings.

Similar Species

Leucozona lucorum has similar bands but is smaller with an orange scutellum.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Well wooded hedgerows, woods and copses where it favours Bramble flowers and umbellifers.

When to see it

May to October peaking June and July.

Life History

Its larvae live in the nests of social wasps and bumblebees, eating waste products and the bee larvae.

UK Status

Common throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

  • David Nicholls
    Ulverscroft NR
    12 July 2008
  • David Nicholls
    Ketton Quarry
    13 June 2014
  • David Nicholls
    Martinshaw Wood
    23 June 2007
  • Kate Nightingale
    Cropston garden
    23 June 2015
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    25 June 2016
  • David Nicholls
    Ratby
    24 June 2012

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Species group:
Hoverflies
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Diptera
Family:
Syrphidae
Records on NatureSpot:
332
First record:
02/07/1989 (Maggie Frankum;Neil Frankum)
Last record:
03/09/2024 (Brown, Jennifer)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records

  • David Nicholls
    Ulverscroft NR
    20 June 2008
    male
  • Mark Skevington
    Whetstone Garden
    01 September 2010
  • David Nicholls
    Ulverscroft NR
    20 June 2008
  • Graham Calow
    Bramble Walk, near Cosby
    01 June 2014
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    03 June 2017
  • David Nicholls
    Martinshaw Wood
    29 June 2007
  • Graham Calow
    Broughton Astley
    24 June 2011
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote
    31 May 2009
    male
  • David Nicholls
    Ulverscroft NR
    11 June 2010
  • David Nicholls
    Hill Hole Quarry
    02 June 2011
  • David Nicholls
    New Lount
    09 June 2011
  • Alan Semper
    Harby Nature Reserve
    08 July 2013
  • David Gould
    Narborough Bog
    01 July 2014
  • egaten
    Fosse Meadows
    23 July 2015
  • Kate Nightingale
    Cropston garden
    16 June 2014
  • Ron.stevens
    Ullesthorpe Stewardship Farm
    15 July 2016
  • Mike Higgott
    Anstey garden
    06 July 2019
  • Andy's Rutland
    Empingham garden
    12 July 2020
  • Saharima Roenisch
    University Botanic Gardens
    11 June 2017
  • egaten
    Croft Hill Nature Trail
    12 June 2020
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields, Aylestone, Leicester
    19 June 2016