Greater Bulbfly Merodon equestris
The Greater Bulbfly is quite variable. There are two main variations: red thorax or black thorax. Especially the ones with a black thorax can have coloured bands on the black in orange, brown or yellow. The distinctions between the Greater Bulbfly and the Volucella bombylans are the black spot in the wings of Volucella bombylans, which the Greater Bulb-fly lacks and the veins in the wings, which show some twists and turns in the Greater Bulb-fly, while being rather straight in Volucella bombylans. The larvae of the Greater Bulb-fly also behave differently: they live in bulbs of various plants, sometimes even becoming a pest in the garden, where Narcissus usually suffers most.
The Greater Bulbfly has quite a number of other names in common English, including Narcissus Bulb Fly, Great Bulb Fly, Large Bulb Fly and Large Narcissus Fly.
