Taxonomy
Parasyrphus malinellus
Distribution
Species Biology
Preferred environment
Forest; conifer forest (Abies, Picea, humid Pinus) and conifer plantation. This is another conifer forest syrphid. Its history in Ireland parallels that of P. lineola, though it seems to have spread more comprehensively into Irish conifer plantations than has P. lineola. It can be regarded as a recent arrival, dependent upon introduced conifers. As such, it is an anthropophilic species here.
Adult habitat & habits
Tracksides, clearings etc., largely arboreal, but descends to visit flowers; females can be found flying round foliage of conifers, from 2m upwards.
Flight period
April/July. Larva: not described.
Flowers visited
White umbellifers; Anemone nemorosa, Barbarea, Cardamine flexuosa, Crataegus, Meum, Prunus cerasus, P.spinosa, Petasites albus, Ranunculus, Rubus fruticosus agg., Salix, Sorbus aucuparia, Stellaria, Taraxacum, Vaccinium myrtillus.
Irish reference specimens
In the collections of NMI and UM
Determination
See Key provided in StN Keys volume. This species closely resembles P. proximus (Mutin). The male terminalia are figured by Hippa (1968b). The species is illustrated in colour by Torp (1994).
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
From Fennoscandia south to the Ardennes and the Alps; from Ireland eastwards through northern and central Europe into European parts of Russia; through Siberia to Yakutia.
Irish distribution
Added to the Irish list by Speight et al (1975). Additional Irish records are published in Nash and Speight (1976) and Nelson (1988). The situation of P. malinellus in Ireland is similar to that of P. lineolus, though it has been more frequently recorded than the latter species, especially in the west. P. malinellus is widely distributed in the Palaearctic, but apparently does not occur in the Nearctic. In Europe, it is not infrequent from southern parts of Scandinavia south to the Alps, where is may be abundant in Abies and Picea forests. Ball et al (2002) suggest that the P. malinellus recognised in Britain seems a little different from P. malinellus in Ireland. Continental material of P. malinellus also seems to be somewhat heterogenous, and it is possible that more than one taxon is confused under this name.
Temporal change
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024
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Further information
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.