Sphaerophoria philanthus

[stuart]

Sphaerophoria philanthus (Meigen, 1822)

Identification ease/difficulty: 3

Sources of information

• Page 154, Pl. 4, fig 19 in Stubbs & Falk (1983)
• Map here and page 134 in Ball & Morris (2000)
• Page 227, Pl. P, fig. 1, Pl. 4, fig. 19 in Stubbs & Falk (2002)

[stuart]

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

Sphaerophoria philanthus (Meigen, 1822)

Biology: Although the larvae has not been found in Europe, a species with the same name is well known in N. America where it is an aphid predator in crops such as Brassica. However, the habits and biology described in American literature do not fit at all well with what is known of this species in Europe, so it is probable that the two are not con-specific (Speight, 1998). In Britain it is found in dry heath and moorland situations and also in heathy rides in conifer plantations. Adults fly low amongst the vegetation where they may visit flowers such as Potentilla erecta

Distribution: Widespread and frequent in suitable localities in the north and west of Britain. Scarce in southern England and East Anglia where it is confined to the major heathlands