| Platycheirus immarginatus | |
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| Platycheirus immarginatus, Bagillt, North Wales | |
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| Species: | P. immarginatus |
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| Platycheirus immarginatus (Zetterstedt, 1849) | |
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Platycheirus immarginatus, the Comb-legged Sedgesitter, is a common species of hoverfly. It is found in parts of northern Europe and northern North America. [2] [3]
For terminology Speight key to genera and glossary
6.5–9.6 mm (0.26–0.38 in)
The face is flat and the bottom of the oral margin is rounded, not extending forward. It is densely gray pollinose, with a bare shining tubercle. The antenna is entirely dark. The vertex is approximately twice the width of the ocellar triangle. There is pollinosity on the frons above the antennal insertions, forming two lateral triangles.
The scutum and scutellum are shining and have yellow pollinosity only on the lateral sides. The pleura is yellow pollinose above and white pollinose below The scutellar pile is about two-thirds as long as the arista, and the other thoracic pile is about half that long. Most pile is white or pale yellow, with a few spots of black pile on the scutum, the posterior margin of the posterior anepisternum, and the lower half of the katepisternum.
The abdomen is parallel-sided. Segment 2 has large, well-defined yellow spots that are at least three-quarters as long as the segment. Segments 3 and 4 are almost entirely yellow, with only a thin median black stripe and narrow posterior black margin present, and the median black stripe is sometimes faded to a dull brown on the apical half of the segment and extremely narrow. Segment 5 is nearly entirely yellow with a small posteromedian black triangle, sometimes reaching the anterior edge of the segment. In some specimens from the north may, rarely, have the large yellow areas reduced to smaller yellow spots. Spots of segment 2 may be circular and situated towards the center of the segment, and spots of segments 3 and 4 are separate from the anterior and lateral margins of the segments. Segment 5 is sometimes entirely black.
The wings are brown-tinted and entirely microtrichose. The halters are yellow.
The legs are mostly pale. The coxae, trochanters, and hind tarsomeres 1, 4, and 5 being dark. The front femur has a posterior subbasal tuft of 2-3 long, thin, wavy, closely appressed white setae, followed by a regularly spaced row of 4-5 posterior, long, black setae with wavy tips. The longest black seta is approximately twice as long as the femoral diameter. The front tibia is somewhat strongly broadened from base to apex, with a posteroapical angle that is produced and bluntly rounded. The first front tarsomere is widened posteriorly, slightly narrower than the apex of the tibia, and about twice as long as it is wide. The remaining front tarsomeres are slightly narrower than the first and unmodified. The middle femur has an anteroventral row of 10-22 short, stiff, black setulae on the apical two-thirds, which usually ends in 1 or 2 longer setae that are strongly curved towards the base of the femur. The setulae of this row are no more than half the diameter of the femur, and the curved setae are approximately equal in length to the diameter of the femur. The middle femur also has 3-6 ventral, black or yellow setae on the basal half, which are approximately twice as long as the femoral diameter. The first hind tarsomere is swollen and approximately three times as long as its greatest depth. The legs are otherwise unmodified. [4]
Palearctic: Britain, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium. Nearctic: Alaska south to California. [10] [11] [4]
Habitat: wetland; freshwater coastal marshes, fen blanket bog, cut-over raised bog, taiga wetlands. It flies May to September. Larvae are unknown in nature but have been reared on aphids. [12]
Baccha is a genus of hoverflies in the subfamily Syrphinae. They are typically moderate sized with wasp-like bodies. Their larvae are predatory, often on aphids.
Toxomerus marginatus, also known as the calligrapher fly, is a common species of hoverfly. It is found in many parts of North America.
Platycheirus granditarsus, the Hornhand Sedgesitter, is a species of hoverfly. It is found in many parts of Britain North America and Europe. Typical habitat includes marshy meadows and ditches, where it can be found between May and October, though it is at its commonest between July and September. The most distinctive feature of this fly is the red-orange abdomen most easily seen as it takes off or alights.
Platycheirus discimanus, the Yellowfoot Sedgesitter is a small species of hoverfly. It is found across Europe and the Palearctic and in North America.
Toxomerus politus is a species of hoverfly. It is known from North, Central and South America. Although little is known about the early stages of this species, associations with corn have been noted. The adults and likely the larvae feed on the pollen of the corn plants.
Brachyopa flavescens, The Yellow Sapeater, is a fairly common species of syrphid fly. It has been observed in northeastern North America. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. Larvae for this genus are of the rat-tailed type. B.flavescens larvae have not been described.
Platycheirus confusus, the Confusing Sedgesitter, is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae.
Syrphus knabi, the The Eastern flower Fly, is an uncommon species of syrphid fly observed in the eastern and United States and Canada. Syrphid flies are also known as Hover Flies or Flower Flies because the adults are frequently found hovering around flowers from which they feed on nectar and pollen. Adults are 7.2–12.9 mm (0.28–0.51 in) long. The larvae are predators of a variety of aphids in trees.
Platycheirus coerulescens, the Hooked Sedgesitter, is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae.
Blera flukei, the Red-cheeked Wood Fly, is a rare species of syrphid fly first officially described by Curran, 1953 as Cynorhina flukei. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are of the rat-tailed type, feeding on exuding sap or in the rot holes of trees.
Blera scitula, the Western Wood Fly, is an uncommon species of syrphid fly first officially described by Williston in 1882. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies, for they are commonly found around and on the flowers from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae of Blera are of the rat-tailed type, feeding on exuding sap or in the rot holes of trees.
Sphegina (Asiosphegina) atrimanus is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in Vietnam.
Sphegina (Asiosphegina) bifida is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in Malaysia. It's similar to S. (A.) inventum, though it's differentiated by having the male superior lobe on both sides longer than wide instead of wider than long.
Sphegina (Asiosphegina) brevipilus is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in China. It's similar to both S. (A.) plautus and S. (A.) simplex; it and S. (A.) plautus are the only known species with a sclerite between the bases of surstyli as well as posteriorly from the cerci.
Sphegina clavigera is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in Vietnam. It's similar to S. crassispina and S. hauseri.
Sphegina apicalis is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in Taiwan.
Sphegina (Asiosphegina) bispinosa is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. It's similar to S. (A.) hansoni, but easily differentiated by the strongly asymmetrical surstyli.
Sphegina quadrisetae is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in China. It's characterized by the long black pile posterior of the posteromedial corner of the eye, the scutellum with four long black setae at posterior margin, and the black and extremely strongly antero-ventrally projected face.
Brachyopa caesariata, the Plain-winged Sapeater, is an uncommon species of syrphid fly. It has been observed in Canada, Alaska and northern United States. Hoverflies get their names from the ability to remain nearly motionless while in flight. The adults are also known as flower flies for they are commonly found around and on flowers, from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. Larvae for this genus are of the rat-tailed type. B.caesariata larvae have not been described.
Eristalis brousii, the hourglass drone fly, is a species of syrphid fly largely eliminated in most of its former range except in northern Canada. It was first officially described by Williston in 1882. The adults are also known as flower flies because they are commonly found around and on flowers from which they get both energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen. The larvae are aquatic filter-feeders of the rat-tailed type.