Epistrophe nitidicollis is a European and North American species of hoverfly.
Description External images For terms see Morphology of Diptera Wing length 8-11·25 mm. Face wide, clear yellow, lightly dusted at eye margin. Legs yellow except dark coxae. Thorax blackish and shiny and tergites equally black and yellow. Similar to E. melanostoma but slightly narrower, tergite 5 with black band and scutellum black-haired.Van Veen, M. (2004) Hoverflies of Northwest Europe: identification keys to the Syrphidae. 256pp. KNNV Publishing, Utrecht.addendum Van der Goot, V.S. (1981) De zweefvliegen van Noordwest - Europa en Europees Rusland, in het bijzonder van de Benelux. KNNV, Uitgave no.32: 275pp. Amsterdam. Bei-Bienko, G.Y. & Steyskal, G.C. (1988) Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSR, Volume V: Diptera and Siphonaptera, Part I. Amerind Publishing Co., New Delhi. .Coe, R.L. (1953) Diptera: Syrphidae. Handbks.ident.Br.insects, 10(1): 1-98. R.ent.Soc.London. pdf The male genitalia are figured by Hippa (1968).Hippa, H. (1968) A generic revision of the genus Syrphus and allied genera (Diptera: Syrphidae) in the Palearctic region, with descriptions of the male genitalia. Acta Ent.Fenn., 25: 1-94. The larva is described and figured by Dusek and Laska(1959) .Dusek, J. & Laska, P. (1959) Beitrag zur Kenntnis einiger unbekannter aphidophager syrphiden-larven (Dipt., Syrphidae). Acta Soc.ent.Cechoslov., 57(3): 279-292.
Distribution Palaearctic and Nearctic. Fennoscandia South to Iberia. Ireland East through North, Central and South Europe East into Russia then Siberia to the Pacific coast (Kamchatka, Sakhalin Island). North America from Alaska south to California and South Carolina.Fauna EuropaeaPeck, L.V. (1988) Syrphidae. In: Soos, A. & Papp, L. (eds.) Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, 8: 11-230. Akad.Kiado, Budapest.
Biology Habitat is deciduous forest, scrub and maquis. Arboreal, descending to visit flowers of white umbellifers, Caltha, Cistus, Euphorbia, Prunus, Ranunculus, Rubus, Taraxacum.de Buck, N. (1990) Bloembezoek en bestuivingsecologie van Zweefvliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) in het bijzonder voor België. Doc.Trav. IRSNB, no.60, 1-167. The flight period is May to June (earlier in southern Europe, later at higher altitudes and northerly latitudes). The larva feeds on aphids.
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