''Epistrophe '' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
flies in the family
Syrphidae, the hoverflies or flower flies.
These are medium-sized flies that live in forest habitat, where they occur on forest edges and in openings. The
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e are usually flat and green, blending in with foliage. The larvae are often predators of
aphids, and adult females may lay their eggs in aphid colonies to provide the larvae with a food source. After an eight-day larval stage the juvenile fly enters
diapause
In animal dormancy, diapause is the delay in development in response to regular and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions.Tauber, M.J., Tauber, C.A., Masaki, S. (1986) ''Seasonal Adaptations of Insects''. Oxford University Press It ...
and then
pupa
A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...
tes the following spring.
[Kazerani, F., et al. (2014)]
Genus ''Epistrophe'' Walker, 1852 (Insects: Diptera: Syrphidae) in Northern Iran, with a new species record.
''Check List'' 10(1) 160-63.
Species
There are nearly 75 species in the genus.
[ Species include:
*'' Epistrophe annulitarsis'' (]Stackelberg __NOTOC__
Stackelberg is a surname, mainly known as the surname of a noble family of Baltic German descent (see Stackelberg family). Notable people with the surname include:
A
* Adolphe Stackelberg (1822–1871), Swedish count and Christian reviv ...
, 1918)
*'' Epistrophe cryptica'' Doczkal & Schmid, 1994
*'' Epistrophe diaphana'' (Zetterstedt
Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt (20 May 1785 – 23 December 1874) was a Sweden, Swedish Naturalism (philosophy) , naturalist who worked mainly on Diptera and Hymenoptera.
Biography
Zetterstedt studied at the Lund University, University of Lund, where ...
, 1843)
*'''' ( Harris, 1780)Zetterstedt
Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt (20 May 1785 – 23 December 1874) was a Sweden, Swedish Naturalism (philosophy) , naturalist who worked mainly on Diptera and Hymenoptera.
Biography
Zetterstedt studied at the Lund University, University of Lund, where ...
, 1843)
*''Epistrophe metcalfi
Epistrophe ( el, ἐπιστροφή, "return") is the repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive phrases, clauses or sentences. It is also known as epiphora and occasionally as antistrophe. It is a figure of speech and the coun ...
'' (Fluke, 1933)
*'' Epistrophe nitidicollis'' ( Meigen, 1822)
*'' Epistrophe obscuripes'' ( Strobl, 1910)
*''Epistrophe ochrostoma
''Epistrophe ochrostoma'' is a European species of hoverfly.
References
Diptera of Europe
Syrphinae
Syrphini
Insects described in 1849
{{Syrphidae-stub ...
'' (Zetterstedt
Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt (20 May 1785 – 23 December 1874) was a Sweden, Swedish Naturalism (philosophy) , naturalist who worked mainly on Diptera and Hymenoptera.
Biography
Zetterstedt studied at the Lund University, University of Lund, where ...
, 1849)
*'' Epistrophe terminalis'' ( Curran, 1925)
*''Epistrophe xanthostoma
''Epistrophe xanthostoma'' is a species of syrphid fly
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 adult ...
'' ( Williston, 1887)
References
Diptera of Europe
Diptera of North America
Syrphinae
Syrphini
Hoverfly genera
Taxa named by Francis Walker (entomologist)
{{Syrphidae-stub