Parasyrphus punctulatus

[stuart]

Parasyrphus punctulatus (Verrall, 1873)

Identification ease/difficulty: 3

Sources of information

• Page 150, Pl. 2, fig 11 in Stubbs & Falk (1983)
• Larval plate Pl. 7d in Rotheray (1993)
• Map here and page 105 in Ball & Morris (2000)
• Page 222, Pl. 2, fig. 11 in Stubbs & Falk (2002)

[stuart]

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

Parasyrphus punctulatus (Verrall, 1873) Syrphus punctulatus Verrall in Coe (1953)

Biology: The larvae are illustrated by Rotheray (1994). Although females of this species have been seen laying eggs on young shoots of Picea, their range of prey is known to include aphids on deciduous shrubs and trees including Rosa and *. Adults can be found visiting a variety of spring flowers in open areas in or around woodland, both deciduous and coniferous and occasionally in parks and large gardens with mature trees. Males hover close to tree foliage and both sexes are found settled on sunlit foliage, usually at some height

Distribution: A widespread and common early spring species in woods throughout Britain, with records north to Shetland