Sphaerophoria Lepeletier and Serville

Vockeroth J. R., 1973, Some New or uncommon Syrphini (Diptera: Syrphidae) from Southern Africa, Annals Natal Mus. 21.3.595 - 607. pdf 21 (3), pp. 595-607 : 604

Genus Sphaerophoria Lepeletier and Serville

In a previous paper (Vockeroth 1969) I expressed doubt that any species of Sphaerophoria other than S rueppellii (Wiedemann) occurred in the Ethiopian Region. Dr Stuckenberg has sent me specimens of S quadrimaculata Bezzi and S. retrocurva Hull from South Africa. Both can reasonably be referred to Sphaerophoria even though the male terminalia of the two species differ markedly from one another and from those of other species of the genus. Both species have the abdomen unusually long and slender, the lateral yellow mesonotal stripe ending at the suture, the propleuron above the fore coxa and the pteropleuron without distinct yellow markings, the metasternum haired, the subscutellar fringe absent and the cercal notch of the male open. Because of the lack of yellow propleural and pteropleural markings neither species will run definitely to Sphaerophoria in the keys to World and Ethiopian genera given by Vockeroth (1969: 38, 48). Couplets 49 and 5 respectively of these keys should be emended to read: Male terminalia small, tergite 9 less than half as wide as abdomen; ~, tergite 5 with distinct yellow markings which do not reach the tergite margins ................ Exallandra Male terminalia large and globose, tergite 9 as wide as abdomen; ~, tergite 5 either without distinct yellow markings or with distinct yellow markings which reach the tergite margins ...................................................... Sphaerophoria