Megasyrphus erraticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Identification

Identification difficulty = 4. magnifier_icon camera_filled_icon according to Ball & Morris, 20241

Synonymy

Syrphus annulipes Zetterstedt in Coe(1953)2, Didea annulipes (Zetterstedt) in Rotheray (1993)3, Megasyrphus annulipes (Zetterstedt) in Stubbs & Falk (1983)4. Eriozona (Megasyrphus) erratica (Linnaeus, 1758) is Stubbs & Falk, 20025.

Biology

The larva is aphidophagous, and usually associated with conifers (Abies, Picea and Pinus), although it is also known to feed on other arboreal aphids such as those on sallows Salix sp. Adults are often associated with open rides and glades in conifer plantations, especially when there is water present such as atreams or ditches, where they visit a wide range of flowers. They are easily confused with Syrphus in the field, but the thorax is quite noticeably blacker and shiny, and in life the markings are orange rather than yellow.

Flight period

The following plots show the number of unique records per week that were not reported to be of eggs, larvae or pupae. phenology

Status

Lower risk (Nationally scarce) - Ball & Morris, 20146.

Distribution

Primarily a northern and western species that is associated with conifer plantations. dotmap

  1. Ball, S., & Morris, R. (2024). Hoverflies of Britain and Ireland. WILDGuides (3rd ed.). Oxford: Princeton University Press. ↩

  2. Coe, R. (1953). Diptera: Syrphidae. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, 10(1), 1–98. ↩

  3. Rotheray, G. (1993). Colour guide to hoverfly larvae (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Britain and Europe. Dipterists Digest (first series), 9, 1–155. ↩

  4. Stubbs, A., & Falk, S. (1983). British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide (1st ed.). Reading: BENHS. ↩

  5. Stubbs, A., & Falk, S. (2002). British Hoverflies An Illustrated Identification Guide (2nd ed.). Reading: BENHS. ↩

  6. Ball, S., & Morris, R. (2014). A review of the scarce and threatened flies of Great Britain. Part 6: Syrphidae. ( No. 9). Species status (pp. 1–130). Peterborough: JNCC. ↩