Allograpta | |
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Allograpta obliqua male | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Diptera |
Family: | Syrphidae |
Subfamily: | Syrphinae |
Tribe: | Syrphini |
Genus: | Allograpta Osten Sacken, 1875[1] |
Type species | |
Scaeva obliqua Say, 1823
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Subgenera | |
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Synonyms | |
Allograpta is a very large and diverse genus of hoverflies present throughout the world except most of the palearctic region. The adults are brightly coloured flower pollinators and most larvae have a predatory feeding mode involving soft-bodied sternorrhynchans. Certain species have diverged from this and their larvae have been found to be leaf-miners, stem-borers or pollen-feeders.[3]
Allograpta is currently being studied using both molecular and morphological methods to produce a robust phylogeny of the genus and its related genera. Preliminary studies show the genus to be monophyletic with the genera Sphaerophoria and Exallandra placed within which obviously complicates matters. A more complete review is needed before any major taxonomic changes can occur i.e. splitting the genus up or incorporating related genera,[1][4] though the former subgenus Fazia was elevated to genus in 2020.[5]