Pipiza fenestrata

[stuart]

Pipiza fenestrata Meigen, 1822

Identification ease/difficulty: 3

Sources of information

• Page 209, Pl. 5, fig 15 in Stubbs & Falk (1983)
• Map here and page 109 in Ball & Morris (2000)
• Page 314, Pl. 5, fig. 15 in Stubbs & Falk (2002)

[stuart]

Species account from Provisional atlas of British hoverflies, Ball & Morris, 2000.

Pipiza fenestrata Meigen, 1822

Biology: The larvae of this species remain unknown, but other members of the genus are aphidophagous, appearing to favour aphids which secrete a waxy flocculence (woolly aphids). Adults are usually found resting on vegetation along woodland margins, occasionally visiting flowers such as Ranunculus

Distribution: P. bimaculata, P. fenestrata, P. lugubris and P. noctiluca are justifiably seen as comprising a difficult species complex by many recorders, and are often ignored. Consequently, they must be regarded as under-recorded and probably subject to frequent misidentification. There are few, mainly old records, these extending north to the Scottish border