Platycheirus ambiguus is a small widespread species of hoverfly found across the Palearctic from Ireland to Japan. A spring species found in flight in April and May, it visits spring-flowering trees and shrubs, e.g., Prunus spinosa in deciduous woodland and scrub.
| Platycheirus ambiguus | |
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| Species: | P. ambiguus
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| Platycheirus ambiguus (Fallén, 1817)
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The species is similar to several other small hoverflies and can be problematic to identify.
The larvae feed on aphids in various trees and shrubs.[1][2][3]
Description
editExternal images
For terms, see: Morphology of Diptera.
Haltere knob is grey brown. Frons have heavy silver-grey dusting. Tergites are marked with yellow but heavily silver-grey dusted.
See references for determination.[4][5][6][7] [8]
Distribution
editPalearctic: Fennoscandia south to Spain, Ireland east through Europe on to the Russian Far East and the Pacific coast, including Japan.[9][10][11]
Biology
editHabitat: deciduous forest scrub, garrigue, hedgerows and gardens. Flies April to end of May. [12]
References
edit- ^ Ball, Stuart; Morris, Roger (2013). Britain's Hoverflies: An Introduction to the Hoverflies of Britain. Woodstock, Oxfordshire: Princeton University Press. pp. 296pp. ISBN 978-0-691-15659-0.
- ^ Ball, S.G.; Morris, R.K.A. (2000). Provisional atlas of British hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae). Monks Wood, UK: Biological Record Centre. 167 pages. ISBN 1-870393-54-6.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Van Veen, M. (2004). Hoverflies of Northwest Europe: identification keys to the Syrphidae. 256pp. KNNV Publishing, Utrecht.addendum.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Coe, R.L. (1953). "Diptera: Syrphidae". Handbks. Ident. Br. Insects 10(1): 1-98. R. Ent. Soc. London. pdf.
- ^ Ohara, Kenji (1980). "he genus Platycheirus Lepeletier and Serville, 1818 (Diptera, Syrphidae) of Japan, with description of three new species" (PDF). Esakia. 15: 97–142.
- ^ Fauna Europaea.
- ^ Peck, L.V. (1988). "Syrphidae". In: Soos, A. & Papp, L. (eds.) Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera 8: 11-230. Akad. Kiado, Budapest.
- ^ 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. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Government Pub Centre. pp. 1–456. ISBN 0-660-13830-1.
- ^ Speight, M.C.D. (2011). "Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera)" (PDF). Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae. 65: 285pp.