Sphaerophoria (Sphaerophoria) scripta ( Linnaeus, 1758 )

El-Hawagry, Magdi S. & Gilbert, Francis, 2019, Catalogue of the Syrphidae of Egypt (Diptera), Zootaxa 4577 (2), pp. 201-248 : 212-213

Sphaerophoria (Sphaerophoria) scripta ( Linnaeus, 1758)

Musca scripta Linnaeus, 1758: 594 . Type locality: Sweden (Svecia).

Musca libatrix Scopoli, 1763: 346. Type locality: Slovenia [as "Carniola"].

Musca invisito Harris, 1780: 83. Type locality: England (not given).

Sphaerophoria strigata Staeger, 1845: 362 . Type locality: Greenland (not given).

Sphaerophoria scripta var. scutellata Portevin, 1909: 25 . Type locality: France (Evreux).

Sphaerophoria menthastri var. violacea Santos Abréu, 1924: 71 . Type locality: Canary Is.

Sphaerophoria brunettii Joseph, 1967: 243 . Type locality: India (Srinagar in Kashmir).

Material examined: 1 male, El Marg, 26.III.1921, leg. Efflatoun; 1 female, Wadi Hoff, 14.IV.1921 (specimens published in Efflatoun (1922) and Shaumar & Kamal (1978)) [PPDD]; 1 male, Ezbet El-Nakhl, 12.IV.1943, leg. Shafik; 2 males, 2 females, Ein Gedeirat, 13–22.IV.1938, leg. Shafik; 3 males, 9 females, Wadi El-Lega (S. Sinai) VI–IX.1943, leg. Efflatoun [EFC].

World distribution: NE:?. OR: India, Kashmir, Nepal. PA: Afghanistan, Algeria, Azores, Canary Is., China, Egypt, Europe (widespread), Greenland, Madera, Mongolia, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia.

Egyptian localities: Coastal Strip: Nuzha. Eastern Desert: Ghoubbet El-Bous, Wadi Hoff. Fayoum: Kom Osheem. Lower Nile Valley & Delta: Abu-Rawash, Behaira, El-Gebel El-Asfar, El-Marg, Ezbet El-Nakhl, Giza, Helwan, Kirdassa, Kombiram, Pyramids, Shubra. Sinai: Gebel Moussa, Ein Gedeirat, Wadi El-Lega. Upper Nile Valley: Isna. Western Desert: Pyramids, Siwa Oasis. [Source: Efflatoun (1922); Shaumar & Kamal (1978) and the examined museum material].

Activity period in Egypt: February to November.

Remarks: Adults fly low through grasses and settle on vegetation, including grass stems. An extensive list of flowers is recorded for visits by this species in Europe, especially white Umbelliferae , Achillea, Cirsium, Crataegus, Erigeron , Euphorbia, Leontodon , and Origanum ( De Buck 1990; Speight 2017).