Kingdom Animalia Genus Eristalinus Scientific name Eristalinus aeneus Higher classification Eristalinus Order Fly | Family Syrphidae Subgenus Lathyrophthalmus Phylum Arthropoda Rank Species | |
Similar Eristalinus, Hoverfly, Fly, Eristalinus sepulchralis, Insect | ||
Id this pollinating insect bee house fly hybrid hover fly eristalinus aeneus
Eristalinus aeneus is a species of hoverfly.
Contents
Eristalinus aeneus hoverfly
Description
External images For terms see Morphology of Diptera
Wing length 6 ·5- 9·25 mm. Eyes patterned with obvious black spots.Tergites 2 and 3 are completely shiny.Thoracic dorsum with faint greyish stripes (in Southern Europe with 5 strong grey stripes). In males the eyes meet on the frons. In females the eyes are bare on lower half.Hind tibiae with black ring after middle, all tarsi with segments 2-4 darkened. The male genitalia are figured by Pérez-Bañón et al (2003) . The larva is figured by Hartley (1961)
Distribution
Cosmopolitan.
Biology
Habitat is freshwater, coastal lagoons, ponds, slow-moving rivers, streams and irrigation ditches.Anthropophilic in southern Europe; towards the northern edge of its range confined to coastal sites. Flies very fast and low, over ground vegetation and feeds on yellow composites, white umbellifers, Aster, Berteroa incana, Cistus, Origanum, Salix repens, Taraxacum. The flight period is April to October. Overwinters as an adult.
In the North he larvae of E.aeneus occur in freshwater seepages and brackish rock pools on the sea coast, but elsewhere they occur in a variety of freshwater habitats, including in association with animal dung and in sewage farms.
