READER PICTURE: Seeing is not believing at Skegness Eco Centre
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It was taken at the Skegness Eco Centre and shows two insects – a red admiral butterfly and one masquerading as another.
The black-and-yellow striped creature pictured alongside the butterfly is a hornet mimic hoverfly.
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Hide AdIt was kindly identified for The Standard by the Lincs Wildlife Trust.
A spokesman said: “It’s black-and-yellow markings make it look like its namesake, but it is in fact harmless. The mimicry helps to protect it from predators like birds, who see it as a hornet and therefore avoid eating it!
“The hornet mimic hoverfly is mainly orangey-yellow on the abdomen, with dark bands and a dark brown thorax, which you can see pictured here. It is our largest hoverfly. It can be distinguished from the hornet by its much larger eyes, broader body and the lack of a sting.”
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