Meligramma guttatum explained

Meligramma guttatum is a Holarctic species of hoverfly.^{[1] [2]}

Description

External imagesFor terms, see: Morphology of Diptera. Wing length 5 · 25–7 mm. Antennae black. Tibiae 1 and tarsi 1 partly dark-coloured. Thorax dorsum with 2 yellow spots just before scutellum, (which may be absent in the male). Marks on tergites 3 and 4 rectangular. The male genitalia are figured by Hippa (1968).^[3] Larva described and figured by Rotheray (1994).^[4]

See references for determination.^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}

Distribution

Palearctic

Fennoscandia South to the Pyrenees. Ireland East through North Europe and Central Europe into European Russia, the Russian Far East and Siberia to the Pacific coast (Sakhalin); Nearctic: from Alaska to Arizona.^{[9] [10] [11]}

Biology

Habitat: Deciduous forest, field hedges with mature Fraxinus, mature Salix and Alnus carr.^[12] Flowers visited include white umbellifers, Epilobium angustifolium, Euonymus, Filipendula, Frangula alnus, Galium, Solidago.^[13] The flight period is June to August.

Notes and References

1. Book: Stubbs, Alan E. . Falk, Steven J . British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide . 2nd . 1983 . . London . 1-899935-03-7 . 253, xvpp .
2. 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 .
3. Hippa, H. (1968) A generic revision of the genus Syrphus and allied genera (Diptera: Syrphidae) in the Palearctic region, with descriptions of the male genitalia. Acta Ent.Fenn., 25: 1-94.
4. Rotheray G., 1993 Colour Guide to Hoverfly Larvae Diptera, Syrphidae in Britain and Europe Dipterists Forum pdf
5. Van Veen, M. (2004) Hoverflies of Northwest Europe: identification keys to the Syrphidae. 256pp. KNNV Publishing, Utrecht.addendum
6. 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.
7. 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. .
8. Coe, R.L. (1953). "Diptera: Syrphidae". Handbks. ident. Br. insects 10(1): 1-98. R. ent. Soc. London. pdf
9. [Fauna Europaea]
10. Peck, L.V. (1988). "Syrphidae". In: Soos, A. & Papp, L. (eds.) Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera 8: 11-230. Akad. Kiado, Budapest.
11. 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 . 0-660-13830-1.
12. Speight . M.C.D. . 2011 . Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera). Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae . 65 . 285pp .
13. de Buck, N. (1990). "Bloembezoek en bestuivingsecologie van Zweefvliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) in het bijzonder voor België". Doc. Trav. IRSNB, no. 60, pp. 1-167.