Taxonomy
Dasysyrphus hilaris
Distribution
Species Biology
Preferred environment
Mature conifer forest; humid Pinus forest and Betula/Pinus swamp forest, Fagus/Picea forest up to c.1000m in the Alps and Pinus plantations.
Adult habitat & habits
Flies round the foliage of conifers, but descends to visit flowers and settles on foliage of large-leaved deciduous trees, e.g. Acer.
Flight period
Beginning May/mid June. Larva: not described. The morphology of the chorion of the egg is figured by Kuznetzov (1988).
Flowers visited
Lonicera xylosteum, Ranunculus, Sorbus aucuparia, Taraxacum, Vaccinium myrtilus.
Irish reference specimens
In the collections of UM
Determination
This species cannot be determined with confidence using existing keys. The concept of D. hilaris employed here is that of Doczkal, who has a publication on this species in an advanced stage of preparation (Doczkal, pers.comm.). The general appearance of the female of this species is shown in the photo provided by Haarto and Kerppola (2007a). It is not clear which species is illustrated under this name in Bartsch et al (2009a).
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
Uncertain, due to considerable confusion with related species until recently, but confirmed from Ireland, Great Britain, Norway, France (Vosges, Alps, Pyrenees), Liechtenstein. As elsewhere in Europe, in Ireland the status of this species is uncertain.
Irish distribution
Added to the Irish list by Speight (2000a). Inclusion of D. hilaris as an Irish species is based on unpublished identification keys provided by Doczkal (pers.comm.), which provide a sound basis for separation of this species from others with which it has until now been confused. Previous uncertainty over the correct identity of D. hilaris has led to omission of this species from the Irish list. The few Irish records of D. hilaris are from not very successful pine plantations on partially-drained bog, that have more than the usual quantity of Betula growing among the conifers, which does not accord well with what is known of the habitat associations of this species in continental Europe. The paucity of Irish records may be partly because the species is only recently established here. However, conifer plantations including pines are now scattered through the length and breadth of the island, so scarcity of pine per se is unlikely to restrict the distribution of D. hilaris here. Indeed, there is more evidence for an association of D. hilaris with deciduous trees than with conifers.
Temporal change
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024
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References
Publications
Speight, M. C. D. (2008) Database of Irish Syrphidae
(Diptera). Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 36. National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin, Ireland.
Speight, M.C.D. (2014) Species accounts of European
Syrphidae (Diptera), 2014. Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae,
vol. 78, 321 pp., Syrph the Net publications, Dublin.