List of hoverfly species recorded in Britain

  The following is a list of hoverfly (Syrphidae) species recorded in Britain.

Additional recommended knowledge

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

Weighing the right way

How to ensure accurate weighing results every day?

Cautionary note: Stubbs and Falk (1983), British Hoverflies, divide the family into a subfamilies and tribes. These subdivisions are now believed to be, to some extent, artificial groupings, not reflecting the evolutionary relationships within the family, and as such, are in need of revision. However, as no replacement system is yet in place, these groupings are retained in this list.

The six unnamed species listed in Stubbs and Falk (1983) are not included below.

Subfamily Syrphinae

Tribe Bacchini (incorporating Melanostomatini)

Genus Baccha

• Baccha elongata (syn. B. obscuripennis)

Genus Melanostoma

• Melanostoma dubium
• Melanostoma mellinum
• Melanostoma scalare

Genus Platycheirus

Subgenus Pachysphyria

• Platycheirus ambiguus

Subgenus Platycheirus

• Platycheirus albimanus
• Platycheirus angustatus
• Platycheirus clypeatus
• Platycheirus discimanus
• Platycheirus fulviventris
• Platycheirus immarginatus
• Platycheirus manicatus
• Platycheirus melanopsis
• Platycheirus peltatus
• Platycheirus perpallidus
• Platycheirus podagratus
• Platycheirus scambus
• Platycheirus scutatus
• Platycheirus sticticus
• Platycheirus tarsalis

Genus Pyrophaena

• Pyrophaena granditarsa
• Pyrophaena rosarum

Genus Xanthandrus

• Xanthandrus comtus

Tribe Paragini

Genus Paragus

Subgenus Pandasyopthalmus

• Paragus haemorrhous
• Paragus tibialis

Subgenus Paragus

• Paragus albifrons

Tribe Syrphini (incorporating Chrysotoxini)

Genus Chrysotoxum

• Chrysotoxum arcuatum
• Chrysotoxum bicinctum
• Chrysotoxum cautum
• Chrysotoxum elegans
• Chrysotoxum festivum
• Chrysotoxum octomaculatum
• Chrysotoxum vernale
• Chrysotoxum verralli

Genus Dasysyrphus

• Dasysyrphus albostriatus
• Dasysyrphus friuliensis
• Dasysyrphus pinastri (listed as D. lunulatus by Stubbs & Falk 1983)
• Dasysyrphus tricinctus
• Dasysyrphus venustus

Genus Didea

• Didea alneti
• Didea fasciata
• Didea intermedia

Genus Doros

• Doros profuges (listed as D. conopseus by Stubbs & Falk 1983)

Genus Epistrophe

Subgenus Epistrophe

• Epistrophe diaphana
• Epistrophe eligans
• Epistrophe grossulariae
• Epistrophe melanstoma
• Epistrophe nitidicollis
• Epistrophe ochrostoma

Subgenus Epistrophella

• Epistrophe euchroma

Genus Episyrphus

• Episyrphus balteatus

Genus Eriozona

Subgenus Eriozona

• Eriozona syrphoides

Subgenus Megasyrphus

• Eriozona erratica (syn. Megasyrphus annulipes)

Genus Eupeodes (Metasyrphus of Stubbs & Falk 1983)

Subgenus Eupeodes

• Metasyrphus corollae
• Metasyrphus latifasciatus
• Metasyrphus latilunulatus
• Metasyrphus lundbecki
• Metasyrphus luniger
• Metasyrphus nielseni
• Metasyrphus nitens

Subgenus Lapposyrphus

• Metasyrphus lapponicus

Genus Leucozona

Subgenus Ischyrosyrphus

• Leucozona glaucia
• Leucozona laternaria

Subgenus Leucozona

• Leucozona lucorum

Genus Melangyna

• Melangyna arctica
• Melangyna barbifrons
• Melangyna cincta
• Melangyna compositarum
• Melangyna ericarum
• Melangyna labiatarum
• Melangyna lasiophthalma
• Melangyna quadrimaculata
• Melangyna umbellatarum

Genus Meligramma

• Meligramma euchromum
• Meligramma guttata
• Meligramma triangulifera

Genus Meliscaeva

• Meliscaeva auricollis
• Meliscaeva cinctella

Genus Parasyrphus

• Parasyrphus annulatus
• Parasyrphus lineolus
• Parasyrphus malinellus
• Parasyrphus nigritarsis
• Parasyrphus punctulatus
• Parasyrphus vittiger

Genus Scaeva

• Scaeva albomaculata
• Scaeva mecogramma
• Scaeva pyrastri
• Scaeva selenitica

Genus Sphaerophoria

• Sphaerophoria abbreviata
• Sphaerophoria batava
• Sphaerophoria loewi
• Sphaerophoria menthastri
• Sphaerophoria philanthus
• Sphaerophoria rueppellii
• Sphaerophoria scripta
• Sphaerophoria taeniata
• Sphaerophoria virgata

Genus Syrphus

• Syrphus ribesii
• Syrphus torvus
• Syrphus vitripennis

Genus Xanthogramma

• Xanthogramma citrofasciatum
• Xanthogramma pedissequum

SUBFAMILY MILESIINAE

Tribe Callicerini

Genus Callicera

• Callicera aurata (listed in Stubbs and Falk 1983 as C. aenea)
• Callicera rufa
• Callicera spinolae

Tribe Cheilosiini

Genus Cheilosia

• Cheilosia albipila
• Cheilosia albitarsis
• Cheilosia antiqua
• Cheilosia barbata
• Cheilosia bergenstammi
• Cheilosia carbonaria
• Cheilosia chrysocoma
• Cheilosia cynocephala
• Cheilosia fraterna
• Cheilosia griseiventris
• Cheilosia grossa
• Cheilosia illustrata
• Cheilosia impressa
• Cheilosia lasiopa (listed as C. honesta by Stubbs & Falk 1983)
• Cheilosia latifrons (syn. C. intonsa)
• Cheilosia longula
• Cheilosia mutabilis
• Cheilosia nebulosa
• Cheilosia nigripes
• Cheilosia pagana
• Cheilosia praecox (syn. C. globulipes)
• Cheilosia proxima
• Cheilosia pubera
• Cheilosia sahlbergi
• Cheilosia scutellata
• Cheilosia semifasciata
• Cheilosia soror
• Cheilosia uviformis
• Cheilosia variabilis
• Cheilosia velutina
• Cheilosia vernalis
• Cheilosia vicina (syn. C. nasutula)
• Cheilosia vulpina

Genus Ferdinandea

• Ferdinandea cuprea
• Ferdinandea ruficornis

Genus Portevinia

• Portevinia maculata

Genus Rhingia

• Rhingia campestris
• Rhingia rostrata

Tribe Chrysogastrini

Genus Brachyopa

• Brachyopa bicolor
• Brachyopa insensilis
• Brachyopa pilosa
• Brachyopa scutellaris

Genus Chrysogaster

• Chrysogaster cemeteriorum (syn. Ch. chalybeata)
• Chrysogaster solstitialis
• Chrysogaster virescens

Genus Hammerschmidtia

• Hammerschmidtia ferruginea

Genus Lejogaster

Subgenus Liogaster

• Lejogaster metallina
• Lejogaster tarsata (syn. L. splendida)

Genus Melanogaster (included in Chrysogaster in Stubbs & Falk 1983)

• Melanogaster aerosa (listed as Chrysogaster macquarti in Stubbs & Falk 1983)
• Melanogaster hirtella

Genus Myolepta

• Myolepta dubia (listed as M. luteola in Stubbs and Falk 1983)
• Myolepta potens

Genus Neoascia

• Neoascia geniculata
• Neoascia interrupta
• Neoascia meticulosa
• Neoascia obliqua
• Neoascia podagrica
• Neoascia tenur

Genus Orthonevra

• Orthonevra brevicornis
• Orthonevra geniculata
• Orthonevra nobilis
• Orthonevra splendens

Genus Sphegina

• Sphegina clunipes
• Sphegina kimakowiczi
• Sphegina verecunda

Tribe Eristalini

Genus Anasimyia

• Anasimyia contracta
• Anasimyia interpuncta
• Anasimyia lineata
• Anasimyia lunulata
• Anasimyia transfuga

Genus Eristalinus

Subgenus Eristalinus

• Eristalinus sepulchralis

Subgenus Lathyrophthalmus

• Eristalinus aeneus

Genus Eristalis

Subgenus Eoseristalis

• Eristalis abusivus
• Eristalis arbustorum
• Eristalis cryptarum
• Eristalis horticola
• Eristalis interruptus (listed as E. nemorum by Stubbs & Falk 1983)
• Eristalis intricarius
• Eristalis pertinax
• Eristalis rupium
• Eristalis similis

Subgenus Eristalis

• Eristalis tenax

Genus Helophilus

• Helophilus affinis
• Helophilus groenlandicus
• Helophilus hybridus
• Helophilus pendulus
• Helophilus trivittatus

Genus Lejops

• Lejops vittata

Genus Mallota

• Mallota cimbiciformis

Genus Myathropa

• Myathropa florea

Genus Parhelophilus

• Parhelophilus consimilis
• Parhelophilus frutetorum
• Parhelophilus versicolor

Tribe Merodontini (incorporating Eumerini)

Genus Eumerus

• Eumerus ornatus
• Eumerus sabulonum
• Eumerus strigatus – Small narcissus fly
• Eumerus tuberculatus– Small narcissus fly

Genus Merodon

• Merodon equestris – Large narcissus fly

Genus Psilota

• Psilota anthracina

Tribe Pelecocerini

Genus Chamaesyrphus

• Chamaesyrphus caledonicus
• Chamaesyrphus scaevoides

Genus Pelecocera

• Pelecocera tricincta

Tribe Pipizini

Genus Heringia

Subgenus Heringia

• Heringia heringi

Subgenus Neocnemodon

• Heringia brevidens
• Heringia latitarsis
• Heringia pubescens
• Heringia verrucula
• Heringia vitripennis

Genus Pipiza

• Pipiza austriaca
• Pipiza bimaculata
• Pipiza fenestrata
• Pipiza lugubris
• Pipiza luteitarsis
• Pipiza noctiluca

Genus Pipizella

• Pipizella maculipennis
• Pipizella varipes
• Pipizella virens

Genus Trichopsomyia

Trichopsomyia flavitarsis

Genus Triglyphus

Triglyphus primus

Tribe Sericomyiini

Genus Arctophila

• Arctophila superbiens (syn. A. fulva)

Genus Sericomyia

• Sericomyia lappona
• Sericomyia silentis

Tribe Volucellini

Genus Volucella

• Volucella bombylans
• Volucella inanis
• Volucella inflata
• Volucella pellucens
• Volucella zonaria

Tribe Xylotini

Genus Blera

• Blera fallax

Genus Brachypalpoides

• Brachypalpoides lentus (listed in Stubbs and Falk 1983 as B. lenta)

Genus Brachypalpus

• Brachypalpus laphriformis

Genus Caliprobola

• Caliprobola speciosa

Genus Chalcosyrphus

Subgenus Xylotina

• Chalcosyrphus nemorum

Subgenus Xylotodes

• Chalcosyrphus eunotus

Genus Criorhina

• Criorhina asilica
• Criorhina berberina
• Criorhina floccosa
• Criorhina ranunculi

Genus Pocota

• Pocota personata

Genus Syritta

• Syritta pipiens

Genus Tropidia

• Tropidia scita

Genus Xylota

• Xylota abiens
• Xylota coeruleiventris
• Xylota florum
• Xylota segnis
• Xylota sylvarum
• Xylota tarda
• Xylota xanthocnema

Subfamily Microdontinae

Genus Microdon

• Microdon analis (syn. M. eggeri)
• Microdon devius
• Microdon mutabilis

Additional species recorded from Ireland

The following additional species have been recorded in Ireland but not from Britain:

• Cheilosia ahenea
• Cheilosia psilophthalma

References

• Chandler, Peter (1998) Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects: volume 12 - Checklists of Insects of the British Isles (New Series) Part 1. Diptera Royal Entomological Society
• Stubbs, Alan E. and Steven Falk (1983), British Hoverflies British Entomological and Natural History Society