Wing length: 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in). Notopleurae and anepisternum shiny. Tergites 2 and 3 are much longer than wide; spots on tergite 3 at least 4/5 length of tergite; femur 1: some long black hairs suddenly bent at tip. The male genitalia are figured by Goeldlin et al (1990).[6] The larva is described and figured by Rotheray (1988) [7] See references for determination.[8][9][10][11]
Distribution
Palearctic: Fennoscandia south to North Spain, Ireland east through North Europe and Central Europe, European Russia to Siberia and the Pacific coast (Sakhalin Is.)
Nearctic:
Alaska to Quebec and south to Washington.[12][13][14]
^Ball, S.G.; Morris, R.K.A. (2000). Provisional atlas of British hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae). Monks Wood, UK: Biological Record Centre. pp. 167 pages.
ISBN1-870393-54-6.
^Van Veen, M.P. (2004). Hoverflies of Northwest Europe, Identification Keys to the Syrphidae (Hardback). Utrecht: KNNV Publishing. p. 254.
ISBN90-5011-199-8.
^Goeldlin de Tiefenau, P., Maibach, A. & Speight, M.C.D. (1990) Sur quelques especes de Platycheirus (Diptera, Syrphidae) nouvelles ou meconnues. Dipterists Digest, 5: 19-44.
^Rotheray, G. E. 1988. Third stage larvae of six species of aphidophagous Syrphidae (Diptera). Entomologist's Gazette, 39, 153-159.
^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.
ISBN81-205-0080-6.
^Coe, R.L. (1953). "Diptera: Syrphidae". Handbks. ident. Br. insects10(1): 1-98. R. ent. Soc. London.
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