''Parasyrphus'' is a genus of
hover 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 adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while ...
found in the
holarctic
The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical region ...
area of the world including species like ''
Parasyrphus tarsatus'' located in some very northern areas. Very few of the 31 identified species have known larvae.
Of the known larvae most are predators of tree aphids with one , ''
Parasyrphus nigritarsis
''Parasyrphus nigritarsis'' is a species of hoverfly, from the family Syrphidae, in the order Diptera. It is known from northern Europe and North America, and has been considered to be a rare species in parts of its range. Adults visit flowers as ...
'', that feed on beetle eggs and larvae.
Description
For terminology se
Thompson glossary of taxonomic termsbr>
Species of this genus are small to medium sized , sturdy, usually with posteriorly rounded yellow spots or straight or posteriorly emarginate yellow bands on the oval abdomen, rarely with yellow abdominal markings reduced or absent. The abdomen is not marginate. The anterior anepisternum with short to moderately long erect hairs, at least posterodorsally. The hind coxa have tufts of hairs at the posteromedial apical angle. The eyes may be either bare or haired.
The face usually has a promient tubercle. It is usually yellow or with distinct black median stripe though in some cases maay be entirely dark brown to black.
The scutum is subshining black. The scutellum is dull yellow normally darker on the sides. The pleura are black, weakly. The anterior part of the anepisternum has many long erect hairs. The upper and lower katepisternal hair patches are either separated or narrowly joined posteriorly. The meron, metapleuron, and metasternum are bare.
Wings entirely trichose or with small basal bare areas. The hind coxa have apical tufts of several strong hairs on the rear central area. The abdomen is oval unmargined, except with very weakly in ''
Parasyrphus nigritarsis
''Parasyrphus nigritarsis'' is a species of hoverfly, from the family Syrphidae, in the order Diptera. It is known from northern Europe and North America, and has been considered to be a rare species in parts of its range. Adults visit flowers as ...
''.
Abdominal segment 2 usually with pair of spots; Segments 3 and 4 usually each with pair of yellow spots or an entire or deeply emarginate yellow band posteriorly. The yellow spots or bands in some specimens can be reduced or even absent. Segment 4 and often segment 5 have the posterior margin narrowly yellow. The sternites are yellow, usually with faint or distinct dark median spots, stripes, or broad triangles or with black subapical bands.
A key to European genera of the family Syrphidaae is provided her
Speight key to genera and glossary
Species
*''
P. aeneostoma''
( Matsumura 1917)
*''
P. altimontanus''
(Barkalov, 2005)
*''
P. ammosovi''
(Bagatshanova, 1990)
*''
P. annulatus''
(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 ...
, 1838)
*''
P. currani''
(Fluke, 1935)
*''
P. genualis''
( Williston, 1887)
*''
P. groenlandicus''
(Nielsen, 1910)
*''
P. insolitus''
(Osburn, 1908)
*''
P. iraidae''
(Mutin, 1987)
*''
P. kashmiricus''
(Ghorpade, 1994)
*''
P. kirgizorum''
(Peck, 1969)
*''
P. levinae''
(Violovich, 1975)
*''
P. lineolus''
(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)
*''
P. macularis''
(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)
*''
P. magadanensis''
(Mutin, 1991)
*''
P. makarkini''
(Mutin, 1990)
*''
P. malinellus''
( Collin, 1952)
*''
P. melanderi''
( Curran, 1925)
*''
P. minimus''
(Shiraki, 1930)
*''
P. montanus''
(Peck, 1972)
*''
P. nigritarsis''
(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)
*''
P. proximus''
(Mutin, 1990)
*''
P. punctulatus''
( Verrall, 1873)
*''
P. relictus''
(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 ...
, 1838)
*''
P. sapporensis''
( Matsumura , 1918)
*''
P. sherpa''
(Ghorpade, 1994) [
*'' P. semiinterruptus'' (Fluke, 1935)
*'' P. tarsatus'' (]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 ...
, 1838)
*'' P. thompsoni'' (Ghorpade, 1994) [
*'' P. vittiger'' (]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)
*'' P. vockerothi'' (Thompson, 2012)
*'' P. zhengi'' (Yuan, Huo & Ren, 2011)
Identification of species
Keys and descriptions for some of the regions, where distributed.
* "Hoverflies of Northwest Europe"
''Handbook of Brittish Insects,''
*Diagnostic keys to species of Indian subcontinent [
*Key to Northwest Europe and Russia][Van der Goot,V.S. (1981) ''De zweefvliegen van Noordwest - Europa en Europees Rusland, in het bijzonder van de Benelux''. KNNV, Uitgave no.32: 275pp. Amsterdam.]
*Northeastern North America
References
Diptera of Europe
Diptera of North America
Hoverfly genera
Syrphinae
Syrphini
Taxa named by Shōnen Matsumura
{{Syrphidae-stub