Epistrophe is a
genus of
flies in the family
Syrphidae, the hoverflies or flower flies.[1]
These are medium-sized flies that live in forest habitat, where they occur on forest edges and in openings. The
larvae are usually flat and green, blending in with foliage. The larvae are often predators of
aphids, and adult females may lay their eggs in aphid colonies to provide the larvae with a food source. After an eight-day larval stage the juvenile fly enters
diapause and then
pupates the following spring.[2]
Species
There are nearly 75 species in the genus.[2] Species include:
^Stubbs, A. E. and S. J. Falk. (1983). British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide. British Entomological & Natural History Society. pp. 253, xvpp.
^Harris, M. (1780).
An exposition of English insects. Vol. Decads III, IV. London: Robson Co. pp. 73–99, 100–138, pls. 21–30, 31–40. Retrieved 16 July 2021.