Epistrophe grossulariae explained

Epistrophe grossulariae is a Holarctic species of hoverfly.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Description

External imagesFor terms see Morphology of Diptera
Wing length 9-12·25 mm. Thorax dull greenish. Tergite 4 with entire yellow band. At least anterior femora dark at base, sometimes hind also. Frons black above lunule and at least half black-haired. Female has a bronzy-green area on upper part of frons. Yellow bands on tergites 3 and 4 straight. Tergite 5 with black band. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]} Male genitalia are figured by Hippa (1968) .^[8] The larva is illustrated by Rotheray (1993) ^[9]

Distribution

Palaearctic and Nearctic Fennoscandia South to Spain, Italy and Yugoslavia. Ireland eastwards through Turkey Russia to Kamchatka. In North America from Alaska to Quebec and South to California.^{[10] [11] [12]}

Biology

Habitat is deciduous woodland, particularly along rivers and streams, Salix swamp woodland, alpine grassland. Found in clearings, tracksides and beside streams.^[13] Flowers visited include white umbellifers, Centaurea, Cirsium, Filipendula, Geranium, Knautia, Rhododendron, Rubus, Sambucus nigra, Succisa,Valeriana.^[14] The flight period is end June to September. The larva feeds on aphids.

Notes and References

1. Book: Ball . S.G. . Morris . R.K.A. . Provisional atlas of British hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) . 2000 . Biological Record Centre . Monks Wood, UK . 1-870393-54-6 . 167 pages .
2. Book: Morris, Roger K. A.. 1999 . Hoverflies of Surrey . Surrey Wildlife Trust. 0-9526065-3-4 . 244.
3. Book: Stubbs, Alan E. . Falk, Steven J.. 1983 . British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide . British Entomological & Natural History Society. 253, xvpp.
4. Book: Van Veen, M.P. . Hoverflies of Northwest Europe, Identification Keys to the Syrphidae . hardback . 2004 . KNNV Publishing . Utrecht . 90-5011-199-8 . 254 .
5. 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.
6. 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. .
7. Coe, R.L. (1953) Diptera: Syrphidae. Handbks.ident.Br.insects, 10(1): 1-98. R.ent.Soc.London. pdf
8. Hippa, H. (1968) A generic revision of the genus Syrphus and allied genera (Diptera: Syrphidae) in thePalearctic region, with descriptions of the male genitalia. Acta Ent.Fenn., 25: 1-94.
9. Rotheray G., 1993 Colour Guide to Hoverfly Larvae Diptera, Syrphidae in Britain and Europe Dipterists Forum pdf
10. [Fauna Europaea]
11. Peck, L.V. (1988) Syrphidae. In: Soos, A. & Papp, L. (eds.) Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, 8: 11-230. Akad.Kiado, Budapest.
12. Book: Vockeroth . J. R. . 1992 . The Flower Flies of the Subfamily Syrphinae of Canada, Alaska, and Greenland (Diptera: Syrphidae). Part 18. The Insects and Arachnids of Canada . 1–456 . Canadian Government Pub Centre . Ottawa, Ontario.
13. Speight . M.C.D. . 2011 . Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera). Syrph the Net, the Database of European Syrphidae . 65 . 285pp .
14. de Buck, N. (1990) Bloembezoek en bestuivingsecologie van Zweefvliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) in het bijzonder voor België. Doc.Trav. IRSNB, no.60, 1–167.