''Temnostoma balyras '' (Walker, 1849), the Yellow-haired Falsehorn , is a common species of

syrphid fly Hover flies, also called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while ...

observed in the eastern half of the United States and adjacent areas of Canada. Hoverflies can remain nearly motionless in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

and protein-rich

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

. Larvae burrow in moist decayed wood using their hooks as rasping organs operated in a forwards and backwards motion by huge muscles housed in the mesothorax and metathorax. The larvae of ''T.balyras'' have been described by Heiss in "A classification of the larvae and puparia of the Syrphidae of Illinois exclusive of aquatic forms".

Distribution

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

References

Eristalinae Articles created by Qbugbot Insects described in 1849 Diptera of North America Taxa named by Francis Walker (entomologist) {{syrphidae-stub