3.a. At least apical 1/4 of front tibia black, at most 5th segment of front tarsus yel- low; bristles on front tarsus all black; pleura with 4 yellow spots; abdominal bands orange-yellow, with the posterior bands on tergites 3 and 4 strongly curved (figure 752). 10-16 mm. Southern Europe, extinct in Central Europe › Spilomyia digitata Rondani 3.b. Front tibiae yellow, at most with a black spot on apical 1/8. At least 4th and 5th segments of front tarsus yellow; bris- tles on at least ventral side of 4th and 5th segments of front tarsus yellow. Pleura with 5 yellow spots. Abdomen with nar- row yellow bands, the anteromedial yel- low band on tergites 2-4 slightly sepa- rated in the middle (figure 753). 10-15 mm. Central and Southern Europe, Turkey › Spilomyia saltuum Fabricius figure 755. Syritta pipiens, habitus of female (Verlinden). SYRITTA Key 1. Male: femur 3 strongly thickened, but Introduction hardly bent, basally without protuber- ance; tergites 2 and 3 with small, pale Syritta pipiens is a very common hoverfly spots (figure 754). Female: ocellar triangle found everywhere that plants are flower- black or bluish, metallic sheen; thoracic ing. They are small, linear hoverflies with dorsum dusted along side margin; tergite a characteristic flight pattern; they hover, 4: side and hind margins not dusted (fig- make a small turn and a quick flight, ure 755). 7-9 mm. Cosmopolitan › hover again, etc. Their larvae live in Syritta pipiens Linnaeus decaying plant material. Jizz: small ‘stick’ hovering in front of flowers or in vegetation. SYRPHUS Introduction Syrphus are common black and yellow hoverflies in the garden and along forest edges. They inhabit a variety of habitats, but prefer woodlands and shrubs. Males can be found hovering 1-5 metres above the ground, apparently guarding an air figure 754. Syritta pipiens, habitus of male space. The larvae of Syrphus are aphid (Verlinden). predators (figure 756). 215 figure 756. Larva of Syrphus torvus figure 757. Syrphus vitripennis, habitus of male (Verlinden). Recognition 3.a. Female: femur 3 black on about basal 2/3. Males indistinguishable from next Syrphus contain broad-bodied, black and (figure 757). 8-11 mm. › Syrphus vitri - yellow flies with a pollinose, greenish- pen nis Meigen black thorax. The face never has a black 3.b. Female: femur 3 yellow on basal 1/2, facial stripe, but the mouth edge may be usually partly brownish on apical 1/2. black. They are most easily confused with Males indistinguishable from previous. Parasyrphus species. Most Parasyrphus are 8-11 mm. North American species, smaller and have a black facial stripe found at several sites in Central Europe, (except for two species). In doubtful cases, but status doubtful (Speight, 2003) › check the anterior anepisternum for hairs Syrphus rectus Osten Sacken (Parasyrphus has hairs there, Syrphus does Note: Bartsch et al. (2009a) doubs the presence of not), and check the lower lobe of the the North American S. rectus in Northern Europe calypter for hairs (only Syrphus has hairs because they argue it falls within the range of vari- on the upper side). The key is based on ation of S. vitripennis. Barendregt (1983), Vockeroth (1992) and Goeldlin de Tiefenau (1996). 4.a. Eyes with numerous hairs, in male long and dense, in female shorter; femur Key 3 black on basal 3/4. 10-13 mm. Europe, in Asia to Japan, Nearctic › 1.a. Wing with 2nd basal cell (cell bm) Syrphus torvus Osten Sacken bare on anterior 1/4 or more; upper 4.b. Eye with at most some very short surface of the tip of femur 3 with short scattered hairs. Female: femora yellow, adpressed yellow hairs, sometimes mixed except in S. nitidifrons with its black with some black hairs › 2 femur with yellow tip › 5 1.b. Wing entirely trichose; upper surface of the tip of femur 3 with short 5.a. Mouth edge yellow, at most genae adpressed black hairs › 4 and posterior mouth edge narrowly black; frons yellow or yellow and black, 2.a. Frons immediately above lunulae yel- dusted; tibia 3 yellow; femur 1 with long low; tergites with paired yellow spots; white to yellow hairs. Female: femur 3 lateral margin of tergites yellow; face yellow › 6 yellow. 8-10 mm. Northern Europe, 5.b. Mouth edge black (figure 758); frons Northern Siberia, Nearctic › Syrphus shiny black; tibia 3 mainly black; femur 1 sexmaculatus Zetterstedt with long black hairs; tergites with spots. 2.b. Frons immediately above lunulae Female: femur 3 black with yellow apex; black; tergites mostly with entire yellow habitus (figure 759). 7-10 mm. Central bands; lateral margin of tergites black › 3 Europe › Syrphus nitidifrons Becker 216.