Platycheirus albimanus explained

Platycheirus albimanus is a common widespread species of hoverfly. A holarctic species its range includes Greenland, Iceland, Britain, mainland Europe, Russia, across Siberia to the pacific coast, the Philippines, Alaska, western Canada and United States.

The larvae feed on aphids on a wide range of plants, shrubs and trees.

Adults can be found in flight generally between April and October on the edges of woodland or scrub, heath or along hedgerows where they visit a wide range of flowers.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

Description

External imagesFor terms see Morphology of Diptera
Wing cell bm with a small to rather large bare area (not trichose) Tibiae 1 abruptly dilated shortly before the apex. Metatarsus 1 posterior edge slightly curved. Face in front view, dusted silverish. Tergites with markings silvery or obscure yellow. Extremely similar in appearance to the southern European P. muelleri and the northern European P. nigrofemoratus and P. urakawensis.

Notes and References

1. Book: Ball, Stuart . Morris, Roger . Britain's Hoverflies: An Introduction to the Hoverflies of Britain . 2013 . . Woodstock, Oxfordshire . 978-0-691-15659-0 . 296pp.
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. Speight . M.C.D. . 2011 . Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera). Syrph the Net, the Database of European Syrphidae . 65 . 285pp .
4. Book: Stubbs, Alan E. . Falk, Steven J . British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide . 2nd . 1983 . . London . 1-899935-03-7 . 253, xvpp .
5. Book: Van Veen, M.P. . Hoverflies of Northwest Europe, Identification Keys to the Syrphidae . Hardback . 2004 . KNNV Publishing . Utrecht . 90-5011-199-8 . 254 .
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