''Sphegina'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of small, slender

hoverflies Hoverflies, also called flower flies or syrphids, make up the insect family (biology), family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen Hover (behaviour), hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed main ...

. They are widespread throughout

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. In flight they seem to have long hind legs which they often carry hanging down, making them resemble sphecid or

ichneumonid The Ichneumonidae, also known as ichneumon wasps, ichneumonid wasps, ichneumonids, or Darwin wasps, are a family of parasitoid wasps of the insect order Hymenoptera. They are one of the most diverse groups within the Hymenoptera with roughly 25,0 ...

wasps. Adult ''Sphegina'' are usually found in damp and shady habitats close to water in forested areas, and several species can often be found together. They often feed on white and yellow flowers of

Apiaceae Apiaceae () or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium,'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot, or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering p ...

Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae (, buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family (biology), family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide. The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 spec ...

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

, and

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus '' Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but som ...

Crataegus ''Crataegus'' (), commonly called hawthorn, quickthorn, thornapple, Voss, E. G. 1985. ''Michigan Flora: A guide to the identification and occurrence of the native and naturalized seed-plants of the state. Part II: Dicots (Saururaceae–Cornacea ...

Sorbus ''Sorbus'' is a genus of over 100 species of trees and shrubs in the rose family, Rosaceae. Species of ''Sorbus'' ('' s.str.'') are commonly known as rowan or mountain-ash. The genus used to include species commonly known as whitebeam, cheque ...

, and

Sorbaria ''Sorbaria'' is a genus of around four species of flowering plants belonging to the family (biology), family Rosaceae. Species Accepted species include: *''Sorbaria grandiflora'' (Sweet) Maxim. *''Sorbaria kirilowii'' (Regel) Maxim. *''Sorbaria ...

. Larvae nest in the sap of living and dead trees or in decaying

cambium A cambium (: cambiums or cambia), in plants, is a tissue layer that provides partially undifferentiated cells for plant growth. It is found in the area between xylem and phloem. A cambium can also be defined as a cellular plant tissue from whic ...

under tree bark lying in water or other damp conditions. The larvae of some species have been discovered in the tunnels of other

xylophagous Xylophagy is a term used in ecology to describe the habits of an herbivorous animal whose diet consists primarily (often solely) of wood. The word derives from Greek ξυλοφάγος (''xulophagos'') "eating wood", from (') "wood" and (') " ...

insects. ''Sphegina'' generally have a face strongly concave and bare in both sexes, antennal basoflagellomere oval with a long dorsal and pilose arista; eyes bare and dichoptic in both sexes; postpronotum pilose; metasternum and katepisternum non-pilose; ventral scutellar fringe absent; alula narrow or absent; postmetacoxal bridge complete and broad; metaleg much longer than pro- and mesoleg and with incrassate femur; abdomen petiolate. ''Sphegina'' are similar to the species of their sister group '' Neoascia'' but are distinguished by the following characters: face oblique, nearly straight, laterally pilose; katepisternum usually pilose; basoflagellomere usually elongate, longer than wide; arista bare and about as long as basoflagellomere. The small-sized species of ''Sphegina'' can be very similar to ''Neoascia'' in habitus and they may be especially difficult to distinguish in the wild. ''Sphegina'' has two

subgenera In biology, a subgenus ( subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the ge ...

'' Asiosphegina'' and '' Sphegina''.

Species

Subgenus: '' Sphegina'' Meigen, 1822 *'' Sphegina abbreviata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina alaoglui'' Hayat, 1997 *'' Sphegina albipes'' (

Bigot Discrimination is the process of making unfair or prejudicial distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong, such as race, gender, age, class, religion, or sexu ...

, 1883) *'' Sphegina amurensis'' Mutin, 1984 *'' Sphegina anatolii'' Mutin, 1999 *'' Sphegina angustata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina appalachiensis'' Coovert, 1977 *'' Sphegina armatipes'' Malloch, 1922 *'' Sphegina aterrima''

Stackelberg __NOTOC__ Stackelberg is a surname, mainly known as the surname of a noble family of Baltic German descent (see Stackelberg family). Notable people with the surname include: A *Adolphe Stackelberg (1822–1871), Swedish count and Christian reviva ...

, 1953 *'' Sphegina atrolutea'' Lucas in

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson Lantion, Filipino retired police general * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia * Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thom ...

& Torp, 1986 *'' Sphegina biannulata'' Malloch, 1922 *'' Sphegina brachygaster''

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...

, 1935 *'' Sphegina brevisterna'' Violovich, 1980 *'' Sphegina bridwelli'' Cole, 1924 *'' Sphegina californica'' Malloch, 1922 *'' Sphegina calthae'' Mutin, 1984 *'' Sphegina campanulata'' Robertson, 1901 *'' Sphegina carbonaria'' Mutin, 1998 *'' Sphegina catthae'' Mutin, 1984 *'' Sphegina clavata'' (

Scopoli Giovanni Antonio Scopoli (sometimes Latinized as Johannes Antonius Scopolius) (3 June 1723 – 8 May 1788) was an Italian physician and naturalist. His biographer Otto Guglia named him the "first anational European" and the "Linnaeus of the Au ...

1763 Events January–March * January 27 – The seat of colonial administration in the Viceroyalty of Brazil is moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. * February 1 – The colonial authorities in the Province of North Carolin ...

) *'' Sphegina claviventris''

, 1956 *'' Sphegina clunipes'' ( Fallén, 1816) *'' Sphegina cornifera''

Becker Becker () is one of the German-language surnames, along with Bäcker and Baecker, that derive from the root, which refers to baking. The surname began as a name for a baker (and thus his family). In northern Germany, it can also derive from th ...

, 1921 *'' Sphegina dogieli''

, 1953 *'' Sphegina elegans'' Schummel, 1843 *'' Sphegina elongata'' Shiraki & Edashige, 1953 *'' Sphegina fasciata'' Shiraki, 1968 *'' Sphegina flavimana'' Malloch, 1922 *'' Sphegina flavomaculata'' Malloch, 1922 *'' Sphegina grunini''

, 1953 *'' Sphegina guptai'' Mutin, 1998 *'' Sphegina hansoni''

, 1966 *'' Sphegina hennigiana''

, 1956 *'' Sphegina hodosa'' Violovich, 1981 *'' Sphegina infuscata'' Loew, 1863 *'' Sphegina japonica'' Shiraki & Edashige, 1953 *'' Sphegina javana'' Meijere, 1914 *'' Sphegina keeniana'' Williston, 1887 *'' Sphegina kumaoniensis'' Mutin, 1998 *'' Sphegina kurenzovi'' Mutin, 1984 *'' Sphegina latifrons'' Egger, 1865 *'' Sphegina limbipennis''

Strobl Strobl (or Strobl am Wolfgangsee) is a municipality of the Salzburg-Umgebung District (''Flachgau''), in the northeastern portion of the Austrian state of Salzburg, right on the border with Upper Austria. It comprises the Katastralgemeinden of Ai ...

, 1909 *'' Sphegina lobata'' Loew, 1863 *'' Sphegina lobulifera'' Malloch, 1922 *'' Sphegina melancholica''

, 1956 *'' Sphegina micangensis'' Huo, Ren & Zheng, 2007 *'' Sphegina mikado'' Mutin, 2001 *'' Sphegina montana''

, 1921 *'' Sphegina negrobovi'' Skufjin, 1976 *'' Sphegina nigrapicula'' Huo, Ren & Zheng, 2007 *'' Sphegina nigerrima'' Shiraki, 1930 *'' Sphegina nigra'' Meigen, 1822 *'' Sphegina nigrimanus'' Cole, 1924 *'' Sphegina obscurifacies''

, 1956 *'' Sphegina occidentalis'' Malloch, 1922 *'' Sphegina petiolata'' Coquillett, 1910 *'' Sphegina platychira'' Szilády, 1937 *'' Sphegina pontica'' Mutin, 1998 *'' Sphegina potanini''

, 1953 *'' Sphegina punctata'' Cole, 1921 *'' Sphegina quadrisetae'' Huo & Ren, 2006 *'' Sphegina rufa'' Malloch, 1922 *'' Sphegina rufiventris'' Loew, 1863 *'' Sphegina smirnovi'' Violovich in

, 1953 *'' Sphegina spheginea'' (

Zetterstedt Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt (20 May 1785 – 23 December 1874) was a Swedish naturalist who worked mainly on Diptera and Hymenoptera. Biography Zetterstedt studied at the University of Lund, where he was a pupil of Anders Jahan Retzius. He receiv ...

, 1838) *'' Sphegina spiniventris''

, 1953 *'' Sphegina stackelbergi'' Violovich, 1980 *'' Sphegina sublatifrons'' Vujic, 1990 *'' Sphegina taibaishanensis'' Huo & Ren, 2006 *'' Sphegina tenuifemorata'' Mutin, 1984 *'' Sphegina thoraciaca'' Shiraki, 1968 *'' Sphegina tricoloripes'' Brunetti, 1915 *'' Sphegina tristriata'' Brunetti, 1913 *'' Sphegina tuvinica'' Violovich, 1980 *'' Sphegina uncinata'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 Text was copied from this source, which is available under
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY 3.0)
license. *'' Sphegina univittata'' Huo, Ren & Zheng, 2007 *'' Sphegina varidissima'' Shiraki, 1930 *'' Sphegina varifacies'' Kassebeer, 1991 *'' Sphegina verae'' Mutin, 1984 *'' Sphegina verecunda'' Collin, 1937 *'' Sphegina violovitshi''

, 1956 Subgenus: '' Asiosphegina''

, 1974 *'' Sphegina achaeta'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina adusta'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina amplistylus'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina atricolor'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina atrimanus'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina bidens'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina bifida'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina bilobata'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina bracon'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina brevipilus'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina carinata'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina cerina'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina clavigera'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina collicola'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina crassispina'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina crinita'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina crucivena'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina culex'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina cultrigera'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina dentata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina distincta'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina ensifera'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina exilipes'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina falcata'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina farinosa'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina fimbriata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina forceps'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina forficata'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina freyana''

, 1956 *'' Sphegina furcillata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina furva'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina ghatsi'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina gigantea'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina gigas'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina granditarsis'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina hamulata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina hauseri'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina incretonigra'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina index'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina inflata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina inventum'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina karnataka'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina licina'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina lobulata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina lucida'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina malaisei'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina minuta'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina mirifica'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina nasuta'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina nigrotarsata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina nitidifrons''

, 1956 *'' Sphegina nubicola'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina orientalis'' Kertész, 1914 *'' Sphegina ornata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina parvula'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina perlobata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina philippina''

, 1999 *'' Sphegina plautus'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina pollex'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina pollinosa'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina prolixa'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina pusilla'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina radula'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina raduloides'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina setosa'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina sibirica''

, 1953 *'' Sphegina siculifera'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina simplex'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina sinesmila'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina spathigera'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina spenceri'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina strigillata'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina subradula'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina taiwanensis'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina trichaeta'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina trispina'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina umbrosa'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina uncinata'' Hippa, Steenis & Mutin, 2015 *'' Sphegina verrucosa'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018 *'' Sphegina vietnamensis'' Steenis, Hippa & Mutin, 2018

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1761633 Diptera of Europe Diptera of North America Diptera of Asia Hoverfly genera Brachyopini Taxa named by Johann Wilhelm Meigen