Taxonomy

Dasysyrphus albostriatus

Distribution

Species Biology

Preferred environment

Forest; most types of coniferous and deciduous forest and conifer plantation, up to the lower limits of the alpine zone. In Ireland, D. albostriatus may be found in suburban gardens and parks, along tall hedges and around open areas in conifer plantations as much as in more natural surroundings. Although in general associated with forested situations, this species frequents areas of young woodland and scrub as well as more mature forest. It thus occurs in Ireland with the Corylus scrub of the limestone karst areas, as well as in association with oak woods. It has to be regarded as a largely anthropophilic species here.

Adult habitat & habits

Tracksides, clearings etc.; to a significant extent arboreal, but often within 2-3m of the ground; settles on foliage of trees and bushes; may be found sunning itself in the evening, on bushes in sheltered locations.

Flight period

End April (early April in southern Europe) /September, with stragglers into October. Larva: described and figured by Dusek & Laska (1962), Brauns (1968) and Goeldlin (1974); predominantly aphid-feeding, but apparently predatory on a wide range of soft-bodied insects; according to Goeldlin (1974) the larvae twine around twigs or small branches like an annulus, keeping to the woody parts, where their colouration makes them almost invisible, and remain motionless unless potential prey passes in their immediate vicinity. Kula (1982) reports that in spruce (Picea) forest larvae of this species are to be found mostly in the crowns of trees.

Flowers visited

Yellow composites; white umbellifers; Acer pseudoplatanus, Calluna, Crataegus, Euphorbia, Lonicera xylosteum, Papaver, Ranunculus, Rubus, Salix, Sorbus, Stellaria, Succisa pratensis, Viburnum opulus (for extended list, see de Buck, 1990).

Irish reference specimens

In the collections of NMI and UM

Determination

D. albostriatus is one of the better-defined species in the genus and, as interpreted here, may be identified using van der Goot's (1981) keys. It is most similar to D. eggeri (Schiner), from which it may be distinguished without difficulty. The male terminalia are figured by Dusek and Laska (1967), Hippa (1968b) and Vockeroth (1969). The adult insect is illustrated in colour by Kormann (1988), Stubbs and Falk (1983), Torp (1984,1994) and van der Goot (1986).

Distribution

World distribution(GBIF)

From Fennoscandia south to Iberia; from Ireland eastwards through central and southern Europe (Italy, the former Yugoslavia) to Crete, Turkey and European parts of Russia (from the north to the Crimea and the Caucasus); into central Asia to Tuva; north Africa; Japan. This species is a confirmed migrator.   It occurs widely throughout the Palaearctic Region and is frequent over most of Europe.

Irish distribution

Recorded as occurring in Ireland in Coe (1953). D. albostriatus is generally distributed and common in Ireland, though since this species is a known migrant it cannot be assumed that all Irish records relate to resident populations.

Temporal change

Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024

The following map is interactive. If you would prefer to view it full screen then click here.

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.

Images