Lejogaster metallina explained

Lejogaster metallina is a Palearctic species of hoverfly.^[1]

Description

External imagesFor terms see Morphology of Diptera
Shiny metallic green. Antennae completely black. Antennomere 3 round. Legs black. The male genitalia are figured by Maibach, A. & Goeldlin de Tiefenau (1994) .^[2] The larva is illustrated by Hartley (1961)^[3] Wing length 4·75-6·5 mm.See references for determination.^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}

Distribution

Palearctic Fennoscandia and the Faroes South to Iberia and the Mediterranean basin. Ireland eastwards through Europe to the Russian Far East and Siberia to the Pacific.^{[8] [9]}

Biology

Habitat: Wetland; mire, fen, marsh, pool and lake edge; along brooks in Quercus ilex forest in southern Europe.^[10] Flowers visited include Ranunculaceae, white umbellifers, Cochlearia, Convolvulus, Leontodon, Polygonum, Symphoricarpos and Valeriana.^[11] The flight period is May to June and August to September. The larva is aquatic, living among submerged plant roots.

Notes and References

1. Book: Stubbs, Alan E. . Falk, Steven J.. 1983 . British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide . British Entomological & Natural History Society. 0-9502891-3-2. 2nd (revised). 273, xvpp .
2. Maibach, A. & Goeldlin de Tiefenau, P. (1994) Limites génériques et caractéristiques taxonomiques de plusieurs genres de la Tribu des Chrysogasterini (Diptera: Syrphidae) III. Descriptions des stades immatures de plusieurs espèces ouest-paléarctiques. Rev.suisse Zool., 101: 369-411.
3. Hartley, J.C. (1961) A taxonomic account of the larvae of some British Syrphidae. Proc.zool.Soc.Lond.,136: 505-573.
4. Van Veen, M. (2004) Hoverflies of Northwest Europe: identification keys to the Syrphidae. 256pp. KNNV Publishing, Utrecht.addendum
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. [Fauna Europaea]
9. Peck, L.V. (1988) Syrphidae. In: Soos, A. & Papp, L. (eds.) Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, 8: 11-230. Akad.Kiado, Budapest.
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.