Behavioural mimicry of honeybees (Apis mellifera) by droneflies (Diptera: Syrphidae: Eristalis spp.)

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Volumn 267, Issue 1446, 2000, Pages 903-909

  Golding, Y C ^a   Edmunds, M ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Batesian mimicry; Droneflies; Foraging behaviour; Honeybees

Indexed keywords

FLY; FORAGING BEHAVIOR; MIMICRY;

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR; ARTICLE; EVOLUTION; FEEDING BEHAVIOR; FLY; HONEYBEE; HYMENOPTERA; NONHUMAN; PRIORITY JOURNAL;

APIS MELLIFERA; DIPTERA; ERISTALIS; ERISTALIS ARBUSTORUM; ERISTALIS NEMORUM; ERISTALIS PERTINAX; ERISTALIS TENAX; SYRPHIDAE;

EID: 0034616532     PISSN: 09628452     EISSN: 14712970     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2000.1088     Document Type: Article

References (26)

1. Atkins, E. L. 1948 Mimicry between the drone fly, Eristalis tenax and the honeybee, Apis mellifera. Its significance in ancient mythology and present-day thought. A. Entomol. Soc. Am. 41, 387-392.
2. Azmeh, S., Owen, J., Sorenson, K., Grewcock, D. & Gilbert, F. 1998 Mimicry profiles are affected by human-induced habitat changes. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 265, 2285-2290.
3. Brower, J. V. Z. & Brower, L. P. 1962 Experimental studies of mimicry. 6. The reactions of toads (Bufo terrestris) to honeybees (Apis mellifera) and their dronefly mimics (Eristalis vinetorum). Am. Nat. 96, 297-307.
4. Brower, J. V. Z. & Brower, L. P. 1965 Experimental studies of mimicry. 8. Further investigations of honeybees (Apis mellifera) and their dronefly mimics (Eristalis spp.). Am. Nat. 99, 173-187.
5. Collett, T. S. & Land, M. F. 1978 How hoverflies compute interception courses. J. Comp. Physiol. A 125, 191-204.
6. Cuthill, I. C. & Bennett, A. T. D. 1993 Mimicry in the eye of the beholder. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 253, 203-204.
7. Dittrich, W., Gilbert, F., Green, P., McGregor, P. & Grewcock, D. 1993 Imperfect mimicry: a pigeon's perspective. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 251, 195-200.
8. Dlusski, G. M. 1984 Are dipteran insects protected by their similarity to stinging Hymenoptera. Byull. Mosk. O-Va. Ispytatelei Prirody Otd Biol. 89, 25-40.
9. Gilbert, F. S. 1986 Hoverflies. Cambridge University Press.
10. Grewcock, D. 1992 The hoverflies: a case of 'poor mimicry'. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
11. Heal, J. R. 1979 Colour patterns of Syrphidae. I. Genetic variation in the drone fly Eristalis tenax. Heredity 42, 223-236.
12. Heal, J. R. 1982 Colour patterns of Syrphidae. IV. Mimicry and variation in natural populations of Eristalis tenax. Heredity 49, 95-109.
13. Heal, J. R. 1995 Of what use are the bright colours of hoverflies? Dipter. Dig. 2, 1-4.
14. Holloway, B. A. 1976 Pollen-feeding in hover-flies (Diptera: Syrphidae). NZ J. Zool. 3, 339-350.
15. Holloway, G. J. 1993 Phenotypic variation in colour pattern and seasonal plasticity in Eristalis hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae). Ecol. Entomol. 18, 209-217.
16. Howarth, B. & Edmunds, M. 2000 The phenology of Syrphidae (Diptera): are they Batesian mimics of Hymenoptera? Biol. J. Linn. Soc. (In the press.)
17. Howarth, B., Clee, C. & Edmunds, M. 2000 The mimicry between British Syrphidae (Diptera) and aculeate Hymenoptera. Br. J. Entomol. Nat. Hist. (In the press.)
18. Lunau, K. & Wacht, S. 1994 Optical releasers of the innate proboscis extension in the hoverfly Eristalis tenax L. (Diptera, Syrphidae). J. Comp. Physiol. A 174, 575-579.
19. Morgan, K. R. & Heinrich, B. 1987 Temperature regulation in bee-and wasp-mimicking syrphid flies. J. Exp. Biol. 133, 59-71.
20. Mostler, G. 1935 Beobachtungen zur Frage der Wespenmimikry. Z. Morph. Oecol. Tiere 29, 381-454.
21. Osten-Sacken, C. R. 1886 Some new facts concerning Eristalis tenax. Entomol. Mag. 23, 97-99.
22. Osten-Sacken, C. R. 1898 On the so-called Bugonia of the ancients and its relation to Eristalis tenax, a two-winged insect. Bull. Soc. Entomol. 25, 186-217.
23. Srygley, R. B. 1999 Locomotor mimicry in Heliconius butterflies; contrast analyses of flight morphology and kinematics. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 354, 203-214.
24. Stubbs, A. E. & Falk, S. J. 1983 British hoverflies. London: British Entomological and Natural History Society.
25. Whittington, A. E. 1994 Of honey bees and eristaline flies. Antenna 18, 120-123.
26. Wickler, W. 1968 Mimicry in plants and animals. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.