| Pipizinae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| P. quadrimaculata | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Syrphidae |
| Subfamily: | Pipizinae Rondani, 1856 [1] |
The Pipizinae is a subfamily of hoverflies. The subfamily Pipizinae was formerly considered a tribe within Eristalinae, but a phylogenetic analysis published in 2015 suggests it should be ranked as a separate subfamily (Mengual, 2015) [2]
The Bombyliidae are a family of flies. Their common name is bee flies. Adults generally feed on nectar and pollen, some being important pollinators. Larvae generally are parasitoids of other insects.
Friedrich Hermann Loew was a German entomologist who specialised in the study of Diptera, an order of insects including flies, mosquitoes, gnats and midges. He described many world species and was the first specialist to work on the Diptera of the United States.
Xylota is a Holarctic genus of hoverflies similar in structure to the related genera Chalcosyrphus and Brachypalpoides. As the larvae are saprophytic they're usually found in rotting wood. The adult flies are generally associated with woodland and woodland edges and can often be seen running over the upper sides of leaves. Unlike other syrphids the adults of many species rarely visit flowers preferring instead to gather pollen from leaf surfaces. There are over 100 described species of which 12 can be found in Europe. Seven species have been recorded in Britain.
Spilomyia is a genus of hoverflies. Many species in the genus show Batesian mimicry of wasp models, including black and yellow patterns and modified antenna shape.
Eumerus is a genus of hoverflies, within the tribe Eumerini.
Platycheirus is a large genus of hoverflies. They are also called sedgesitters.
Criorhina is a genus of hoverflies.Medium to large sized species, black or greenish black, with or without light ground markings mimicking bumblebees .The head is much flattened and broader than the thorax. The antennae are situated upon a prominent conical frontal process, The face is moderately produced below the eyes, downward or forward, in profile. The eyes are bare. The abdomen is elliptical or very short oval. .Larvae found in rot holes or decaying hardwoods
Chalcosyrphus is a genus of hoverflies in the subfamily Eristalinae. Many species exhibit some degree of mimicry of various sawflies and other hymenopterans and are often brightly coloured or metallic in hue. The adults are similar in structure and behavior to the related genus Xylota but differ in larval morphology. They can be found throughout Europe, Asia, and North America and seem to prefer damper, boggy habitats. The larvae are saproxylic feeders in rotten wood in these habitats.
Chrysogaster is a genus of small hoverflies in the subfamily Eristalinae. They are dark or black with shiny colourful reflections and can often be seen visiting flowers in damp marshy areas where the aquatic larvae live. Species in the related genera Melanogaster, Orthonevra, Lejogaster and Riponnensia were formerly treated as members of Chrysogaster.
Heringia is a genus of hoverflies, from the family Syrphidae, in the order Diptera.
The Brachyopini is a tribe of hoverflies. Unlike many members of this family these flies are generally darker and less colourful though some genera contain species with an attractive metallic lustre e.g. Chrysogaster. Some like Brachyopa are associated with sap runs where their larvae feed on decaying sap. Others are found in boggy areas where their often semiaquatic larvae feed on decaying organic matter.
The Milesiini is a large and diverse tribe of hoverflies. They mimic wasps or hornets.
Pipizini is a tribe of small to medium-sized generally black hoverflies, although some species aso have orange spots on their abdomen. This nondescript colouring can lead to some species being confused with other dark hoverflies from other tribes. The lack of a facial knob is a good defining feature which separates them from most of these other hoverflies. As with other species in the subfamily Syrphinae the larvae feed on aphids though there seems to be a preference for wax-secreting aphids e.g. Pemphigidae.
Milesia is a genus of very large hoverflies, which mimic social wasps. For example, the European species Milesia crabroniformis is a convincing mimic of the hornet species Vespa crabro. Milesia are predominantly Palaeotropical in distribution almost entirely Oriental.
Dipterologiae Italicae prodromus is a fundamental work of systematic entomology by the Italian entomologist Camillo Rondani. It consists of seven volumes published in Paris, Parma, Firenze (Ex Tipographia A. Stocchii between 1856 and 1877. It is written in Latin. The subject is the Diptera of Italy.
Lejota is a genus of syrphid flies in the family Syrphidae.
Sterphus is a genus of hoverflies.