Platycheirus varipes

Platycheirus varipes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Syrphidae
Subfamily:	Syrphinae
Tribe:	Bacchini
Genus:	Platycheirus
Subgenus:	Platycheirus
Species:	P. varipes
Binomial name
Platycheirus varipes Curran 1923

Platycheirus varipes (the silver sedgesitter, commonly flower fly) is a rare species of syrphid fly observed in Northern Europe: Norway, Sweden, Finland; Greenland; central Asiatic Russia; and in North America from Alaska and Canada south to Colorado, via mountain chains. ^{[1] [2]}

Hoverflies can remain nearly motionless in flight. Adult Platycheirus varipes 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. Larvae are aphid predators. ^{[3] [4]}

References

1. Speight, M.C.D (2011). Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera), Glasgow2011 (PDF). Dublin: Syrph the Net publications.
2. Young, Andrew D (2012). A revision of the Nearctic species of Platycheirus Lepeletier and Serville (Diptera: Syrphidae) (master of SCIENCE). University of Guelph. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
3. Rotheray, G.E. (1993). "Colour Guide to Hoverfly Larvae (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Britain and Europe" (PDF). Diperists Digest. 9: 155.
4. Skevington, Jeffrey H (2019). Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America. ISBN   9780691189406.