Parhelophilus versicolor is a European hoverfly.

Description

External images

For terms see Morphology of Diptera Wing length is 7–9 mm. There is no posteroventral tubercle at base of Femur 3. Face is convex. Occiput has yellow hairs only. Reemer (2000) figures the male genitalia. The larva is figured by Hartley (1961) See references for determination.

Parhelophilus versicolor

Distribution

Palearctic Southern Fennoscandia South to Iberia and the Mediterranean basin. Ireland East through Europe into Turkey and European Russia then to western Siberia.

Parhelophilus versicolor

Biology

Habitat: Wetland. Fen, marsh and reed beds. Flowers visited include white umbellifers, Aegopodium podagraria, Cardamine, Cistus, Crataegus, Euphorbia, Filipendula ulmaria, Galium, Leontodon, Sorbus aucuparia. Flies May to August. The larva is aquatic. It has been collected from decaying rhizomes of Typha.

Parhelophilus versicolor

References

Diptera of Europe

Eristalini

Insects described in 1787

Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius