Hogweed Fly Fox - Ectemnius lituratus
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Species Description
Widespread but local in the Southern half of the UK. Habitat includes: Places with dead wood and umbellifer flowers such as woodland, field margins, hedgerows, scrub etc. Flight period: June to September (peaking in August to Early September). Life story: Females construct burrows into a variety of dead wood such as tree stumps, fence posts etc. where she brings in medium-sized flies such as calypterates to stuff into the nest cells and lays a few eggs. Once the first one is complete she immediately moves onto the next. Diet: Nectars on Wild Angelica, Wild Parsnip, Hedge Parsley, Hogweed, Greater Burnet-saxifrage etc.