Brachypalpus oarus, the eastern catkin, is a common species of syrphid fly first officially described by Walker in 1849.[1] Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are of the rat-tailed type feeding on decaying sap under tree bark.[4]

Brachypalpus oarus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Syrphidae
Tribe: Milesiini
Subtribe: Xylotina
Genus: Brachypalpus
Species:
B. oarus
Binomial name
Brachypalpus oarus
(Walker, 1849)[1]
Synonyms

Distribution

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Canada, United States. This nearctic species is located mostly in Northeastern North America, with a population in southwestern Canada. External image

References

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  1. ^ a b c Walker, F. (1849). List of the specimens of dipterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part III. London: British Museum (Natural History). pp. 485–687.
  2. ^ Loew, Hermann (1872). "Diptera Americae septentrionalis indigena. Centuria decima". Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift. 16: 49–124. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  3. ^ Hull, F.M. (1946). "New syrphid flies from Mississippi". Entomological News. 56[1945]: 268–272.
  4. ^ Skevington, Jeffrey H (2019). Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America. ISBN 9780691189406.