| Helophilus trivittatus | |
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| Male | |
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| Species: | H. trivittatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Helophilus trivittatus (Fabricius, 1805) | |
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Helophilus trivittatus is a species of Palearctic hoverfly. [2]
The scientific genus name is composed of the parts helos (ἕλος, gr.), meaning "marsh" and philos (φίλος, gr.) meaning "friend". The species name is composed by "tri" (lat.), meaning "three" and "vitta" (lat.) meaning "band". This name refer to the preference of these insects for moist areas and to the fact that they carry three stripes on the breast shield.
For terms see Morphology of Diptera
Helophilus trivittatus has a wing length of 10.25–12.25 millimetres (0.404–0.482 in). The eyes are separated in both sexes, in the male a little less than in the female. The antennae are black, Face shows a wide yellow longitudinal stripe, with at most a central reddish-brown stripe. [3] On the thorax four narrow pale yellow stripes alternate with three larger dark brown stripes. The drawing of the flattened abdomen is reminiscent of a wasp.
The drawing of the third and fourth segments of the abdomen is different in the two sexes. In the male, only the third segment carries a pale yellow to gray arc line. In the female, such a curve is found on the fourth and the fifth tergite. [4] Tergites 2 and 3 have pale lemon yellow spots, while tergite 4 has white to grey spots. In the females tergite 3 yellow spots touch the front margin. The larva is illustrated by Hartley (1961) [5]
This species is present in most of Europe and in the eastern Palearctic realm. [10] It is widespread from Fennoscandia south to the Mediterranean Basin, and from Ireland east through Europe, Siberia, and the Russian Far East to the Pacific. it is also present in Iran and Afghanistan. [11] It has been observed migrating in Sweden. [12]
These hoverflies inhabit wetland, river margins, seasonally flooded grassland and salt-marsh. They are anthropophilic in southern Europe, where it frequents irrigation ditches in farmland. [13]
The flight period of this species is from May to October. Adults feed on various flowers, including umbellifers, yellow composites, Armeria , Aster , Cakile , Centaurea , Chrysanthemum , Cirsium , Crataegus , Chamaenerion angustifolium , Eryngium , Eupatorium , Euphorbia , Ligustrum , Lychnis , Lythrum , Mentha , Menyanthes , Origanum , Plumbago , Polygonum persicaria , Potentilla , Ranunculus , Rubus fruticosus , Salix and Sorbus . [14] The larva is a detritivore associated with decaying rhizomes of Typha latifolia and with beds of Glyceria maxima .
Helophilus hybridus is a hoverfly. It is a Palearctic species.
Eristalinus sepulchralis is a European species of hoverfly. The species are brownish-white from a close up, and look like a wasp. From a distance though, they are yellowish-black coloured, and look like a bumble bee. The species can be found throughout Europe in the Baltic states, North Europe, Central, Southern and Western Europe and across the Palaearctic to Kamchatka, Japan, China and India. Finland, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, and the Netherlands.
Eristalis intricaria is a European species of hoverfly. It is a furry bee mimic, superficially resembling Merodon, though Merodon have all black leg tibiae, as opposed to partly yellow. E. intricaria is somewhat variable in colour pattern, and some attempts at naming varieties have been tentatively made. Flight time of adults in the UK are from March to September. It is generally widespread, but is seldom seen in large numbers. Habitat is woodland or marshland.
Eupeodes latifasciatus is a species of hoverfly. Adults feed on nectar; larvae feed on aphids and scale insects.
Dasysyrphus albostriatus is a Palearctic species of hoverfly.
Dasysyrphus venustus is a Holarctic species of hoverfly.
Leucozona lucorum is a Palearctic and Nearctic species of hoverfly.
Meliscaeva auricollis is a West Palearctic species of hoverfly.
Meliscaeva cinctella is a Holarctic species of hoverfly.
Xanthandrus comtus is a species of hoverfly. It is found in the Palearctic.
Cheilosia variabilis, common name figwort cheilosia, is a species of hoverfly belonging to the family Syrphidae.
Sericomyia silentis, is a species of hoverfly. It is widespread throughout the Palearctic but normally encountered in small numbers in mountain regions and moorland and bog locations.
Fagisyrphus cinctus is a European species of hoverfly. This species has a muddled taxonomic history. Older authors treated it as a member of the genus Melangyna, and later sources in Meligramma, but the most recent sources recognize it as the sole species in its own monotypic genus, Fagisyrphus.
Anasimyia lineata is a Palaearctic species of hoverfly.
Heringia vitripennis is a Palearctic species of hoverfly.
Melangyna quadrimaculata is a European species of hoverfly.
Dasysyrphus pinastri is a species of hoverfly found in Europe.
Epistrophe nitidicollis is a European and North American species of hoverfly.
Lejogaster tarsata is a Palearctic hoverfly
Caliprobola speciosa is a Palearctic hoverfly. It is an ancient woodland bioindicator.