Episyrphus

Episyrphus
male Episyrphus balteatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Syrphidae
Tribe: Syrphini
Genus: Episyrphus
Matsumura & Adachi, 1917
Type species
Musca balteata[1]
De Geer, 1776

Episyrphus is a genus of hoverflies in the subfamily Syrphinae. Larvae are predatory, often on aphids.[2]

Two subgenera are recognized, Episyrphus and Asiobaccha. Species of the latter are distinguished by a petiolate abdomen.[3]

It has been claimed that classification within the genus Episyrphus needs revision, due to the poor clarity of species names and distinguishing characteristics between them.[4] Characters such as the colors on the abdomen or of the pile on the frons and scutellum, often taken as diagnostic, have been found to depend on temperature in studies on E. viridaureus.[3][4]

  1. ^ Smith, Kenneth G.V.; Vockeroth, J.R. (1980). Crosskey, R.W. (ed.). Catalogue of the Diptera of the Afrotropical Region (Print). London: British museum (Natural History). pp. 1–1436. ISBN 0565-00821-8.
  2. ^ Stubbs, Alan E.; Falk, Steven J. (1983). British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide. British Entomological & Natural History Society. p. 253, xvpp.
  3. ^ a b Wright, Susan G.; Skevington, Jeffrey H. (2013). "Revision of the subgenus Episyrphus (Episyrphus) Matsumura (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Australia". Zootaxa. 3683: 51–64. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3683.1.3. PMID 25250433. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  4. ^ a b Jeroen van Steenis; Tsung-Hsueh (Bill) Wu; Axel M. Ssymank; Wouter van Steenis; Jeffrey H. Skevington; Andrew D. Young; Chris J. Palmer; Menno P. van Zuijen; Brigitte Lechner-Ssymank; Shiuh-Feng Shiao (2021). "Preliminary Results of the 2016 International Taiwan Expedition on SYRPHIDAE (DIPTERA)". 臺灣昆蟲. 41 (2). doi:10.6662/TESFE.202105_41(2).004. Retrieved 15 June 2023.