Paragus haemorrhous

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Paragus haemorrhous
Paragus haemorrhous, Great Orme's Head, North Wales, June 2016 2 - Flickr - janetgraham84.jpg
EuropaischenZweiflugeligen1790TafLXXII.jpg
Original figures in Meigen's Europäischen Zweiflügeligen
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Syrphidae
Genus: Paragus
Subgenus: Pandasyophthalmus
Species:
P. haemorrhous
Binomial name
Paragus haemorrhous
Meigen, 1822
Synonyms
  • Paragus auricaudatusBigot, 1884
  • Paragus coreanusShiraki, 1930
  • Paragus dimidiatusLoew, 1863
  • Paragus femoratusWalker, 1851
  • Paragus haemorrhousMeigen, 1822
  • Paragus obscurusWalker, 1851
  • Paragus ogasawaraeMatsumura, 1916
  • Paragus pallipesMatsumura, 1916
  • Paragus sigillatusCurtis, 1836
  • Paragus substitutusLoew, 1858
  • Paragus tamagawanusMatsumura, 1916
  • Paragus trianguliferusZetterstedt, 1838

Paragus haemorrhous, the Black-backed Grass Skimmer is a common widespread species of hoverfly found in many parts of Europe, Africa and the Nearctic. Hoverflies can remain nearly motionless in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found on flowers from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are predators on aphids. [1] [2]

Contents

Description

For terminology Speight key to genera and glossary
external link to inaturalist images

Size

4.3–5.9 mm (0.17–0.23 in)

Head

The face is yellow, moderately projecting, with a black median stripe in both sexes. The third antennal joint is sordid reddish below. The eyes are uniformly pilose."

Thorax

The scutellum entirely black.

Abdomen

Segment 1 is black and well-developed. Segment 2 is black or has a posterior margin that is red. Segments 3 through 5 are usually entirely red-orange to dark red in males. The superior lobe varies in shape and size, with an apex that is nearly truncate to strongly oblique, and with a length from one to two times that of the surstylus.

Wings

The wings are hyaline with a brownish grey stigma.

Legs

The legs are yellow and light brownish yellow. The basal half of the femora are black. The hind tibia is usually with apical half yellow-orange.
Females cannot be identified. [3]

See references for determination. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Distribution

Palearctic: Fennoscandia south to Iberia and the Mediterranean basin, Israel and Turkey, Ireland eastward through Central Europe and Southern Europe (Italy, the former Yugoslavia) into European Russia. Nearctic: from the Yukon south to Costa Rica also in parts of the Afrotropical region. [8] [9] [10]

Habitat: Portugal. BoardwalkAlvor (40).JPG
Habitat: Portugal.

Biology

Habitat: Unimproved grassland, heathland, garrigue, dune grassland, open areas and pathsides in forest up to the Larix/Pinus uncinata zone, fen meadow. [11] Flowers visited include umbellifers, Calluna , Jasione montana , Matricaria , Origanum , Polygonum , Potentilla , Solidago , Stellaria . [12] It flies May to September. The larva feeds on aphids on low herbaceous plants.

Molecular genetics

Black-backed Grass Skimmer Black-backed Grass Skimmer.jpg
Black-backed Grass Skimmer

As "based on both morphological and molecular evidence", Paragus haemorrhous Meigen 1822, Paragus coadunatus (Rondani, 1847) and Paragus ascoensis Goeldlin de Tiefenau & Lucas, 1981 appear to be synonyms of Paragus tibialis (Fallén, 1817)". Rojo et al. (2006). [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Syrphus ribesii</i> Species of fly

Syrphus ribesii is a very common Holarctic species of hoverfly. Its larvae feed on aphids. In common with many other species of hoverfly, males have the eyes meeting on the top of the head, whilst females have their eyes widely separated.

<i>Chrysotoxum cautum</i> Species of fly

Chrysotoxum cautum is a species of Palearctic hoverfly of the genus Chrysotoxum. The larvae are thought to feed on root aphids. Adults are usually found on the edges of woodland or scrub or along hedgerows where they visit a wide range of flowers, usually in small numbers.

<i>Platycheirus clypeatus</i> Species of fly

Platycheirus clypeatus is a species of hoverfly. It is found across the Palearctic and in the Nearctic. The larvae feed on aphids. Adults are usually found on the edges of woodland or scrub, heath or along hedgerows where they visit a wide range of flowers.

<i>Eristalinus aeneus</i> Species of fly

Eristalinus aeneus, the common lagoon fly, is a fairly common species of syrphid fly observed throughout the United States and Europe. Hoverflies can remain nearly motionless in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae occurs along shorelines in rock pools containing large amounts of decaying seaweed.

<i>Eupeodes corollae</i> Species of fly

Eupeodes corollae is a very common European species of hoverfly. Adults are 6–11 millimetres (0.24–0.43 in) in body length. Males and females have different marking on the abdomen; males have square commas on tergites 3 and 4, whereas females have narrow commas. Larvae feed on aphids. This species has been used experimentally in glasshouses as a method of aphid control, and to control scale insects and aphids in fruit plantations. They were found to be partial to the fruit, eating more fruit than aphids.

<i>Eupeodes latifasciatus</i> Species of fly

Eupeodes latifasciatus is a species of hoverfly. Adults feed on nectar; larvae feed on aphids and scale insects.

<i>Didea fasciata</i> Species of fly

Didea fasciata is a Holarctic species of hoverfly.

<i>Leucozona lucorum</i> Species of hoverfly

Leucozona lucorum is a Palearctic and Nearctic species of hoverfly.

<i>Cheilosia pagana</i> Species of fly

Cheilosia pagana is a Holarctic species of hoverfly. Like most Cheilosia it is black, and because of this may often be overlooked as a hoverfly. One identifying feature is a large red to orange 3rd antennal segment.

<i>Syrphus torvus</i> Species of insect

Syrphus torvus, the Hairy-eyed Flower Fly, is a common species of hoverfly found in the Holarctic. The adults feed on pollen and nectar, but the larvae feed on aphids.

<i>Syrphus vitripennis</i> Species of hoverfly

Syrphus vitripennis is a very common European and North American species of hoverfly. Its larvae feed on aphids

<i>Epistrophe grossulariae</i> Species of fly

Epistrophe grossulariae is a Holarctic species of hoverfly.

<i>Pipiza noctiluca</i> Species of fly

Pipiza noctiluca is a species of Hoverfly, from the family Syrphidae, in the order Diptera.

<i>Parasyrphus vittiger</i> Species of fly

Parasyrphus vittiger is a species of hoverfly, from the family Syrphidae, in the order Diptera.

<i>Platycheirus angustatus</i> Species of fly

Platycheirus angustatus is a species of hoverfly. It is found in many parts of the Palearctic, and in the Nearctic.

<i>Megasyrphus erraticus</i> Species of fly

Megasyrphus erraticus is a Holarctic species of hoverfly associated with mature conifer woodlands and plantations.

<i>Epistrophe nitidicollis</i> Species of fly

Epistrophe nitidicollis is a European and North American species of hoverfly.

<i>Eumerus funeralis</i> Species of fly

Eumerus funeralis or lesser bulb fly is a species of Hoverfly, from the family Syrphidae, in the order Diptera. E. funeralis appears in Peck (1988) as a synonym of E. strigatus (Fallen), but was reinstated as the correct name for tuberculatus Rondani, sensu auctorum by Speight et al. (1998).

Chrysotoxum fasciatum is a species of Holarctic hoverfly.

<i>Lejogaster tarsata</i> Species of fly

Lejogaster tarsata is a Palearctic hoverfly

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. 167 pages. ISBN   1-870393-54-6.
  3. ↑ Rotheray G. (1993). Colour Guide to Hoverfly Larvae Diptera, Syrphidae in Britain and Europe. Dipterists Forum. pdf
  4. ↑ Van Veen, M. (2004). Hoverflies of Northwest Europe: identification keys to the Syrphidae. 256pp. KNNV Publishing, Utrecht.addendum.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ Coe, R.L. (1953). "Diptera: Syrphidae". Handbks. Ident. Br. Insects10(1): 1-98. R. Ent. Soc. London. pdf.
  8. ↑ Fauna Europaea.
  9. ↑ Peck, L.V. (1988). "Syrphidae". In: Soos, A. & Papp, L. (eds.). Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera8: 11-230. Akad. Kiado, Budapest.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ Speight, M.C.D. (2011). "Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera)" (PDF). Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae. 65: 285pp.
  12. ↑ de Buck, N. (1990) Bloembezoek en bestuivingsecologie van Zweefvliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) in het bijzonder voor België. Doc.Trav. IRSNB, no.60, 1-167.
  13. ↑ Rojo, S., Ståhls, G., Pérez-Bañon, C. & Marcos-García, M.-Á. (2006) Testing molecular barcodes:invariant mitochondrial DNA sequences vs the larval and adult morphology of West Palaearctic Pandasyophthalmus species (Diptera: Syrphidae: Paragini). Eur.J.Entomol., 103: 443-458.
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