Generation. Melanostoma mellinum, Triangle Hoverfly, on African Star Grass, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
One of the specialisations of the Amsterdam Hortus is in the plants of South Africa. There's a large Pelargonium collection, but also many others. Among them in the special climate house is this pretty, golden-yellow bulbous African Star Grass. The rains drove me indoors so I had a good opportunity to carefully examine it.
This Hypoxis (see inset left) is very attractive to insects and I saw various kinds of Hoverflies. Among them this Melanostoma mellinum. I don't know of an English common name for it, but in Dutch it's called in English translation the Triangle Hoverfly. The reason is immediately obvious when you look at its markings in the right inset photo. The main photo shows a female; I've posted it so you can see her developing white eggs through her translucent 'skin'. She's ensuring for a new generation of her kind.
PS Note the lightly green halter. It's coloring from whitish-yellow to greener during the development of her eggs.
Generation. Melanostoma mellinum, Triangle Hoverfly, on African Star Grass, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
One of the specialisations of the Amsterdam Hortus is in the plants of South Africa. There's a large Pelargonium collection, but also many others. Among them in the special climate house is this pretty, golden-yellow bulbous African Star Grass. The rains drove me indoors so I had a good opportunity to carefully examine it.
This Hypoxis (see inset left) is very attractive to insects and I saw various kinds of Hoverflies. Among them this Melanostoma mellinum. I don't know of an English common name for it, but in Dutch it's called in English translation the Triangle Hoverfly. The reason is immediately obvious when you look at its markings in the right inset photo. The main photo shows a female; I've posted it so you can see her developing white eggs through her translucent 'skin'. She's ensuring for a new generation of her kind.
PS Note the lightly green halter. It's coloring from whitish-yellow to greener during the development of her eggs.