''Anasimyia contracta'' is a

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an species of

hoverfly Hover flies, also called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while ...

Description

The wing length 5 to 7.5 mm. Tergite 2 is narrower than it is long and it has greyish 'hockey stick' shaped markings. ''A. transfuga'' has similar markings but with tergite 2 parallel sided and wider than long.

Habits

A wetland species found near ponds with ''Typha'', especially in fens. Flowers visited include white umbellifers, ''Menyanthes'', ''Ranunculus'', ''Myosotis'', ''Potentilla palustris'', ''Sorbus aucuparia'' and ''Potentilla palustris'' The larva has been found among debris of dead ''Typha'' stalks beneath the water surface.

Distribution

West

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...

Ireland eastwards through central Europe to European Russia.Bei-Bienko, G.Y. & Steyskal, G.C. (1988a) ''Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSR'', Volume V: Diptera and Siphonaptera, Part I. Amerind Publishing Co., New Delhi. .

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2746158 Muscomorph flies of Europe Eristalinae Insects described in 1980