Cheilosia pagana is a Holarctic species of hoverfly. Like most Cheilosia it is black, and because of this may often be overlooked as a hoverfly.[2] One identifying feature is a large red to orange 3rd antennal segment.[3]

Cheilosia pagana
Male
Female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Syrphidae
Genus: Cheilosia
Species:
C. pagana
Binomial name
Cheilosia pagana
(Meigen, 1822)[1]
Synonyms

Description

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For terms see Morphology of Diptera

Wing length 4.75-8·5 mm. Antennae with third segment clear orange and very large:no furrow. Frons flat in male. Thoracic pubescence variable. Female scutellum entirely black. Legs part yellow. Tarsi 1 with pale central segments pale. Part of the pagana species group.[4] [5][6]

Distribution

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Present in most of Europe and in the eastern Palearctic realm.[7] East to Siberia.[8] Nearctic[9] [10]

 
Riverside habitat.Ireland.

Biology

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Habitat: coniferous and deciduous woodland, unimproved grassland, along hedgerows in farmland and at roadsides. Scrub and carr.[11] Flowers visited include yellow composites, Ranunculaceae, white umbellifers, Allium ursinum, Anemone nemorosa, Fragaria, Potentilla erecta, Primula, Prunus spinosa and Salix.[12] Flight period is from May to September. In southern Europe, on the wing from mid March. Larvae are known to inhabit semi-liquid, decaying tissue of the roots of plants. There is a rearing record from decaying roots of Cow Parsley.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Meigen, Johann Wilhelm (1822). Systematische Beschreibung der bekannten europäische n zweiflugeligen Insekten. Hamm: Dritter Theil. Schulz-Wundermann. pp. x, 416, pls. 22–32. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  2. ^ a b Stubbs, Alan E.; Falk, Steven J. (1983). British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide. British Entomological & Natural History Society. pp. 253, xvpp.
  3. ^ Van Veen, M.P. (2004). Hoverflies of Northwest Europe, Identification Keys to the Syrphidae (hardback). Utrecht: KNNV Publishing. p. 254. ISBN 90-5011-199-8.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Bei-Bienko, G.Y. & Steyskal, G.C. (1988) Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSR, Volume V: Diptera and Siphonaptera, Part I. Amerind Publishing Co., New Delhi. ISBN 81-205-0080-6.
  6. ^ Coe, R.L. (1953) Diptera: Syrphidae. Handbks.ident.Br.insects, 10(1): 1-98. R.ent.Soc.London. pdf Archived 2018-10-04 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Fauna Europaea". fauna-eu.org. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  8. ^ Peck, L.V. (1988) Syrphidae. In: Soos, A. & Papp, L. (eds.) Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, 8: 11-230. Akad.Kiado, Budapest.
  9. ^ "Nearctic Syrphidae Checklist". Canacoll.org. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  10. ^ "Cheilosia pagana species information". GBIF. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  11. ^ Speight, M.C.D. (2011). "Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera)" (PDF). Syrph the Net, the Database of European Syrphidae. 65: 285pp.
  12. ^ de Buck, N. (1990) Bloembezoek en bestuivingsecologie van Zweefvliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) in het bijzonder voor België. Doc.Trav. IRSNB, no.60, 1-167.