Blera fallax, the pine hoverfly or roodkapje, is a rare species of hoverfly normally associated with mature pine trees in Northern and Central Europe.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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The pine hoverfly larva, which are of the rat-tailed maggot type, normally develop in damp rot holes of felled or fallen pine trees, notably the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), though it will occur with other conifers. Preference is for large stumps where there has been some heartwood softening by the fungus Phaeolus schweinitzii. Adult flies have been seen feeding on wild raspberry flowers, but little else is known about adult behaviour.
In Scotland, attempts have been made on RSPB sites to create artificial rot holes in felled pine stumps. This has led to a slight increase in numbers of adults in some areas, though numbers are still very low and causing some concern.
