Platycheirus melanopsis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Diptera
Family:
Syrphidae
Genus:
Platycheirus
Subgenus:
Platycheirus
Species:
P. melanopsis
Binomial name
Platycheirus melanopsis
Loew, 1856

Platycheirus melanopsis is a species of hoverfly. It is found from northern Europe across to eastern Siberia.[1][2][3] The larva is described by Rotheray [4]

Description

A rather small and short Platycheirus with a protruding lower face related to Platycheirus manicatus and Platycheirus tarsalis. See references for determination.[5][6][7][8]

Distribution and biology

Palearctic Sweden, Finland and Scotland, northern England, the Alps and the Pyrenees; eastwards through North Europe and the Alps into European Russia and Siberia. The habitat is calcareous montane grassland with Picea, Betula, Juniperus, Pinus mugo and alpine grassland up to 2,700m.Flowers visited include Androsace, Calamintha, Cerastium, Cirsium, Convolvulus, Crepis, Gypsophila, Helianthemum, Hornungia, Pinguicula, Potentilla erecta, Ranunculus, Rhododendron ferrugineum. Flies June to August dependent on altitude. The larva feeds on aphids. [9]

References

  1. ↑ Stubbs, Alan E.; Falk, Steven J (1983). British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide (2nd ed.). London: British Entomological and Natural History Society. pp. 253, xvpp. ISBN 1-899935-03-7.
  2. ↑ Ball, S.G.; Morris, R.K.A. (2000). Provisional atlas of British hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae). Monks Wood, UK: Biological Record Centre. pp. 167 pages. ISBN 1-870393-54-6.
  3. ↑ Van Veen, M.P. (2004). Hoverflies of Northwest Europe, Identification Keys to the Syrphidae (Hardback). Utrecht: KNNV Publishing. p. 254. ISBN 90-5011-199-8.
  4. ↑ Rotheray, G. E. (1997) Larval stages of the predatory hoverflies Trichopsomyia flavitarsis (Meigen), Platycheirus melanopsis Loew and Parasyrphus nigritarsis (Zetterstedt) (Diptera: Syrphidae). Ent.Gaz., 48: 127-134.
  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. ISBN 81-205-0080-6.
  8. ↑ Coe, R.L. (1953). "Diptera: Syrphidae". Handbks. Ident. Br. Insects 10(1): 1-98. R. Ent. Soc. London. pdf.
  9. ↑ Speight, M.C.D. (2011). "Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera)" (PDF). Syrph the Net, the Database of European Syrphidae. 65: 285pp.

Images representing Platycheirus melanopsis

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