Platycheirus albimanus

[stuart]

Platycheirus albimanus (Fabricius, 1781)

Identification ease/difficulty: 2

Sources of information

• Page 120, Pl. A, fig 6; Pl. 1, fig 6 in Stubbs & Falk (1983)
• Map here and page 112 in Ball & Morris (2000)
• Page 174, Pl. R, fig. 6; Pl. 1, fig. 6 in Stubbs & Falk (2002)

Pictures:

[stuart]

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

Platycheirus albimanus (Fabricius, 1781) Platycheirus cyaneus (Müller, 1776)

Biology: The early stages of this common species require further investigation. They appear to feed on aphids on low growing plants and bushes and have also been found on Abies, Malus and Phragmites. The species is multi-brooded, and adults can be found at almost any time of year, but they are particularly abundant at flowers in spring. Adults can be found in most habitats, but frequently in more humid, sheltered situations such as woodland edge, hedgerows, scrub and gardens

Distribution: One of the commonest and most widespread of our smaller hoverflies