EPISTROPHE may be mistaken for a Syrphus, but Epistrophe has a yellow stripe on the mar- gins of the thoracic dorsum and many Introduction species are stouter. The banded Parasyrphus- species are smaller. The key is based on Van Epistrophe are associated with forests, der Goot (1981), Doczkal and Schmid where they dwell in open spots and forest (1994) and Bartsch et al. (2009a). edges and are found on flowers and sun- lit leaves. They probably also occur in the canopy layer. E. eligans and E. ochrostoma Key appear in March to April. E. grossulariae is among the last to occur; the adults can be 1.a. Tergite 4 with spots or completely found on flowers in forest edges and black, tergite 3 with spots or bands › 2 grasslands as late as September. The larvae 1.b. Tergites 3 and 4 with bands › 4 are predators, and are usually asso- ciated with on trees, but also occur 2.a. Tergites 3 and 4 with equally large on shrubs and tall herbs (Rotheray, 1993). spots, tergite 4 never black › 3 E. flava larvae have been collected from 2.b. Tergite 4 with smaller yellow mark- aphid galls on Malus (see (Speight, 2003)). ings than tergite 3 or tergite 4 black Epistrophe larvae have a characteristic flat- (figure 283, figure 284). 10-11 mm. tened shape and green colour, a good Central and Southern Europe, east to camouflage on tree leaves. Larvae of E. the Caucasus › grossulariae seem to live for one to three Harris years before pupating (Rotheray, 1993). 3.a. Tergites 3 and 4: with broadly sepa- rated, oblique, undusted spots (rarely Recognition connected at front margin), spots on tergite 2 smaller than on tergites 3 and Most species of Epistrophe are broad-bod- 4; tergites 2-4 lateral margin often with ied, large with large, rectangular small yellow spots at the front corner; yellow bands on a black abdomen. They tergite 5 with yellow markings (figure 285, figure 286); antennae pale. 8-10 mm. Europe, east to Siberia › Epistrophe (Epistrophella) euchroma Kowarz 283. Jizz: slender species, remniscent of Melangyna, but with large, square spots with small spots in front of them. 3.b. Tergites 3 and 4: the interrupted bands heavily dusted, the yellow colour 284. hardly visible and sometimes even lack- ing; tergite 5 black; tergites 3-8: lateral margin black; antennae black. 11-12 mm. Elevated parts of Central Europe, mountains › Epistrophe leiophtalma Schiner & Egger 4.a. Antennae: entirely or mainly black; thoracic dorsum dull; frons entirely or partly with yellow hairs; femora 1 and 2: all long hairs yellow › 5 4.b. Antennae: yellow, upper margin of 3rd segment often darkened (in case the figure 283. Epistrophe eligans, habitus of 3rd segment is largely black, then the female. thoracic dorsum shiny or frons entirely figure 284. Epistrophe eligans, abdomen with black hairs or femora 1 and 2 with (Verlinden). long black hairs) › 7

93 285. 287.

288.

286. figure 287. , head of male. figure 288. Epistrophe grossulariae, head of female (Verlinden).

289.

290.

figure 285. Epistrophe euchroma, abdomen of male. figure 286. Epistrophe euchroma, abdomen of female (Verlinden).

5.a. Mouth edge yellow; tergites 3 and 4: yellow bands not hidden by dust › 6 5.b. Mouth edge partly black; tergites 3 and 4: the bands heavily dusted, the yel- low colour scarcely visible and some- times absent. Specimens with connected figure 289. , head of spots on tergite 4, see 3 › Epistrophe female. leiophtalma Schiner & Egger figure 290. Epistrophe diaphana, abdomen of female (Verlinden). 6.a. Frons: black above lunula (figure 287, figure 288), covered with black hairs for 7.a. Tars 3: entirely pale or dark, without more than 1/2 its area; scutellum with distinct dark rings on pale background - black hairs posteriorly; femora: at least the › 8 bases of femora 1 and 2 and often those 7.b. Tars 3: background colour pale, with of femur 3 black on basal 1/4; tergite 5 6 well defined black rings, on the base with black band. 12-14 mm. Europe, in and top of the metatars and the apex of Asia east to Kamchatka, Nearctic › the other tarsal segments; scutellar dor- Epistrophe grossulariae Meigen sum mainly black haired; arista black; Jizz: yellow bands on tergites 3 and 4 straight, nei- tibia 3 pale; tergite 5 yellow with a small ther curved nor narrowed. black spot in the middle. 11-13mm. 6.b. Frons: yellow above lunula (figure Finland. › Epistrophe annulitarsis 289), covered entirely or largely with (Stackelberg). yellow hairs; scutellum with yellow hairs Jizz: similar to E. flava, tars 3 quite different. only; femora completely yellow; tergite 5 yellow (figure 290). 10-11 mm. 8.a. Wing: basal cells bm and/or br partly Northern and Central Europe, in Asia bare › 9 east to the Pacific coast › Epistrophe 8.b. Wing: basal cells bm and br entirely diaphana Zetterstedt covered by microtrichia › 11

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