''Syrphus vitripennis'' is a very common

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an and North American species of

hoverfly Hoverflies, also called flower flies or syrphids, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the l ...

. Its

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e feed on

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...

Description

For terms see

Morphology of Diptera Dipteran morphology differs in some significant ways from the broader insect morphology, morphology of insects. The Diptera is a very large and diverse Order (biology), order of mostly small to medium-sized insects. They have prominent compound ey ...

Wing length 7·25-10·25 mm. Frons above lunulae black. Tergites 3 and 4 with entire yellow bands and lateral margin of tergites black. Male: femora 3 black for basal three-quarters. Female: femora 3 black on basal two-thirds. The male genitalia and the larva are figured by Dusek and Laska (1964). See references for

determination Determination is a positive emotional feeling that promotes persevering towards a difficult goal in spite of obstacles. Determination occurs prior to goal attainment and serves to motivate behavior that will help achieve one's goal. Empirical ...

Distribution

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...

throughout.

Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America ...

Alaska to California.Peck, L.V. (1988) Syrphidae. In: Soos, A. & Papp, L. (eds.) ''Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera'', 8: 11-230. Akad.Kiado, Budapest. Migratory.

Biology

Habitat: Deciduous and coniferous woodland and anthropophilic, occurring along field hedges, in suburban gardens and parks. Flies March to October.

References

Syrphinae Syrphini Insects described in 1822 Diptera of Europe {{Syrphidae-stub