Taxonomy
Riponnensia splendens
Distribution
Species Biology
Preferred environment
Wetland/forest; fen, also streams, springs and seepages in deciduous forest and scrub, or along hedged, canalised streams in farmland. Where small, shaded, canalised streams run along field boundaries, accompanied by hedges, is as likely a situation in which to find R. splendens in Ireland as any other. Its other stronghold is along streams in deciduous woodland. The advent of the electric fence, which has reduced the traditional hedge to the status of at best a windbreak, is liable to have catastrophic effect upon this species within farmland, as hedges are no longer maintained or are removed. It can occur in association with springs or seepages, within woodland, but its apparent requirement for shallow water that is flowing, even if only slowly, means that it is not normally found with standing water-bodies. Similarly, it is not found where the water flow is intermittent and dries up entirely during part of the year.
Adult habitat & habits
Usually close to slowmoving water; along the margins of forest streams flies in a zig-zag fashion in dappled sunlight, settling on fallen branches and twigs in the sun; in general, flies up to 3m from the ground, but usually within 1m of the ground surface, settling on foliage of bushes or shrubs and frequently visits flowers.
Flight period
Mid June/beginning September. Larva: described and figured by Maibach and Goeldlin (1994) and Hartley (1961). Hartley's (l.c.) larvae were found in pond mud containing lots of pieces of twig and wood; larvae occur in very shallow, slow-moving water with woody debris, including seepages and ditches.
Flowers visited
Yellow composites; white umbellifers; Matricaria, Ranunculus.
Irish reference specimens
In the collections of NMI and UM
Determination
van der Goot (1981), Claussen (1991b), Vujic (1999b). The male terminalia are figured by Claussen (1991b) and Maibach et al (1994a). The adult insect is illustrated in colour by Stubbs and Falk (1983) and Torp (1994). In nearly all recent literature this species is referred to the genus Orthonevra. In southern Europe, the closely similar R. daccordii and R. morini could easily be mistaken for R. splendens. Features distinguishing this species are provided by Claussen (1991b) and Vujic (1999b) respectively. Vujic (l.c.) provides a key for separating both sexes of R. splendens from these other two species.
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
From the Netherlands south to N Africa, including Mediterranean islands, e.g. Crete; from Ireland eastwards through much of central and southern Europe into Greece, Turkey, the Crimea and the Caucasus mountains; extremely localised in central Europe. Widely distributed and frequent in Ireland, Britain and northern France, R. splendens becomes scarce further south and in central Europe. It is also absent from northern Europe. So, although it ranges south into the Mediterranean zone and round the Mediterranean basin into the mountain ranges of north Africa, R. splendens is primarily an insect of parts of the Atlantic fringe of Europe. It is present in southern parts of the Atlantic zone, in mountainous parts of northern Spain, but whether it is frequent there is unclear.
Irish distribution
Recorded as occurring in Ireland in Coe (1953). Widely distributed and frequent in Ireland.
Temporal change
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2025
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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.