Cheilosia pagana explained

Cheilosia pagana is a Holarctic species of hoverfly. Like most Cheilosia it is black, and because of this may often be overlooked as a hoverfly.^[1] One identifying feature is a large red to orange 3rd antennal segment.^[2]

Description

For terms see Morphology of Diptera

Wing length 4.75-8·5 mm. Antennae with third segment clear orange and very large:no furrow. Frons flat in male. Thoracic pubescence variable. Female scutellum entirely black. Legs part yellow. Tarsi 1 with pale central segments pale. Part of the pagana species group.^{[3] [4] [5]}

Distribution

Present in most of Europe and in the eastern Palearctic realm.^[6] East to Siberia.^[7] Nearctic^{[8] [9]}

Biology

Habitat: coniferous and deciduous woodland, unimproved grassland, along hedgerows in farmland and at roadsides. Scrub and carr.^[10] Flowers visited include yellow composites, Ranunculaceae, white umbellifers, Allium ursinum, Anemone nemorosa, Fragaria, Potentilla erecta, Primula, Prunus spinosa and Salix.^[11] Flight period is from May to September. In southern Europe, on the wing from mid March. Larvae are known to inhabit semi-liquid, decaying tissue of the roots of plants. There is a rearing record from decaying roots of Cow Parsley.^[1]

Notes and References

1. Book: Stubbs, Alan E. . Falk, Steven J.. 1983 . British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide. 253, xvpp . British Entomological & Natural History Society.
2. Book: Van Veen, M.P. . Hoverflies of Northwest Europe, Identification Keys to the Syrphidae . hardback . 2004 . KNNV Publishing . Utrecht . 90-5011-199-8 . 254 .
3. Van der Goot,V.S. (1981) De zweefvliegen van Noordwest - Europa en Europees Rusland, in het bijzonder van de Benelux. KNNV, Uitgave no.32: 275pp. Amsterdam.
4. Bei-Bienko, G.Y. & Steyskal, G.C. (1988) Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSR, Volume V: Diptera and Siphonaptera, Part I. Amerind Publishing Co., New Delhi. .
5. Coe, R.L. (1953) Diptera: Syrphidae. Handbks.ident.Br.insects, 10(1): 1-98. R.ent.Soc.London. pdf
6. Web site: Fauna Europaea . 2022-08-01 . fauna-eu.org.
7. Peck, L.V. (1988) Syrphidae. In: Soos, A. & Papp, L. (eds.) Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, 8: 11-230. Akad.Kiado, Budapest.
8. Web site: Nearctic Syrphidae Checklist . 2022-08-01 . Canacoll.org.
9. Web site: Cheilosia pagana species information . GBIF . 2023-02-02.
10. Speight . M.C.D. . 2011 . Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera). Syrph the Net, the Database of European Syrphidae . 65 . 285pp .
11. de Buck, N. (1990) Bloembezoek en bestuivingsecologie van Zweefvliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) in hetbijzonder voor België. Doc.Trav. IRSNB, no.60, 1-167.