Chrysotoxum perplexum is a North American species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae.The adults are strong mimics of wasps.[1] Larvae of this genera, when known, are aphid predators.[2]

Chrysotoxum perplexum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Syrphidae
Subfamily: Syrphinae
Tribe: Syrphini
Genus: Chrysotoxum
Species:
C. perplexum
Binomial name
Chrysotoxum perplexum
Johnson, 1924

Description

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For terminology see Speight key to genera and glossary

Length 12 mm (0.47 in)
Head

The face is convex with a prominent tubercule at the lower end of the facial stripe. The vertex and front are black, with the upper part of the front being whitish pollinose. The first joint of the antennae is longer than the second, and the third is slightly longer than the first and second combined. Lastly, the arista is reddish.

Thorax

The scutellum has a broad transverse black band, leaving a narrow yellow margin at the base and apex.

Abdomen

The sides of the first abdominal segment are yellow, and the arcuate bands on the other segments are narrowly interrupted. The arcuate bands on the second and third segments extend to the lateral margin, while the one on the fourth segment is narrowly separated. The posterior margin of the second segment is entirely black, while the yellow posterior marginal band on the third and fourth segments is narrow on the sides and expands in the middle, being widest on the fourth segment. The two elongated spots on the fifth segment are curved, and the central triangle is small, leaving a very broad V-shaped mark.

Wings

The wing vein R4+5 is clearly dipped into cell r4+5, and the costal margin of the wing is brown.

Legs

The base of the front and middle femora are dark brown.[3][2]

Distribution

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United States
Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Maine, Virginia, West Virginia.
Canada
Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Gilbert, Francis (2004). "The evolution of imperfect mimicry in hoverflies". Cambridge University Press: 1–42.
  2. ^ a b Shannon, Raymond C (1927). "The Chrysotoxine Syrphid-Flies". Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum. 69: 1–20.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ Johnson, Charles Willison (1924). "A review of the New England species of Chrysotoxum". Occasional Papers of the Boston Society of Natural History. 5: 97–100.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ "Chrysotoxum perplexum". GBIF. Retrieved 2023-02-20.

[1]


  1. ^ "Chrysotoxum perplexum Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-24.