Platycheirus rosarum

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Platycheirus rosarum (Fabricius, 1787)

Nomenclature

• Pyrophaena rosarum in Stubbs & Falk (1983)
• Pyrophaena rosarum in RA33
• Pyrophaena rosarum in Kloet & Hincks (1976)

Identification ease/difficulty: 1

Sources of information

• Page 125, Pl. 1, fig 5 (as Pyrophaena rosarum) in Stubbs & Falk (1983)
• Map here and page 122 in Ball & Morris (2000)
• Page 185, Pl. 1, fig. 5 in Stubbs & Falk (2002)

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

Platycheirus rosarum (Fabricius, 1787) Pyrophaena rosarum (Fabricius) in Stubbs & Falk (1983)

Biology: Larvae unknown, but are presumed to feed on aphids in wetland situations. Pupae have been found in fenland flood refuse. It occurs in wet meadows and in the lush vegetation fringing marshes, pond, lakes, etc. Adults fly amongst stands of tall vegetation such as Juncus and Phragmites and frequently settle on the stems. They visit a wide range of flowers and males can be found hovering over more open areas. Generally occurs in the same habitats as P. granditarsa, and the two are often found together

Distribution: Generally less abundant than P. granditarsa, but similarly widespread