Melanostoma dubium explained

Melanostoma dubium is a Palearctic species of hoverfly.^{[1] [2]}

Description

A small black (4–6 mm long) fly, dark bronze or green bronze, with pale abdominal markings. It is hard to separate this species from other Melanostoma.^{[3] [4]}

Distribution and biology

Found from Fennoscandia south to the Pyrenees and from Scotland east through North Europe and the mountains Central Europe into European Russia and on through Siberia to Yakutia. The habitat is montane and alpine grassland and moor. Flowers visited include Carex, Potentilla erecta, Ranunculus. Flies from July to August dependent on altitude.^[5]

External links

• Images representing Melanostoma dubium

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 . British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide . 2nd . 1983 . . London . 1-899935-03-7 . 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. Speight . M.C.D. . 2011 . Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera). Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae . 65 . 285pp .