Episyrphus (Episyrphus) balteatus ( De Geer, 1776 )

El-Hawagry, Magdi S. & Gilbert, Francis, 2019, Catalogue of the Syrphidae of Egypt (Diptera), Zootaxa 4577 (2), pp. 201-248 : 206-207

Episyrphus (Episyrphus) balteatus ( De Geer, 1776)

Musca balteata De Geer, 1776: 116. Type locality: Sweden.

Musca cannabina Scopoli, 1763: 344. Type locality: Slovenia [as "Carniola"].

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

Musca scitule Harris, 1780:111. Type locality: England.

Musca scitulus Harris, 1780: 105. Type locality: England.

Musca alternata Schrank, 1781: 448. Type locality: not given ( Austria).

Syrphus nectareus Fabricius, 1787: 341 . Type locality: Denmark.

Musca elegans Villers, 1789: 464 . Type locality: France.

Musca nectarina Gmelin, 1790: 2876. New name for Syrphus nectareus Fabricius.

Syrphus pleuralis Thomson, 1869: 497 . Type locality: " China ".

Syrphus andalusiacus Strobl, 1899: 145 . Type locality: Spain (Algeciras).

Episyrphus fallaciosus Matsumura, 1917 : pl. VI. Type locality: Japan (Honshu, Kyushu).

Episyrphus hirayamae Matsumura, 1918: 12 . Type locality: Japan (Honshu: Tokyo at Komaba).

Syrphus cretensis Becker, 1921: 52 . Type locality: Greece (Crete).

Syrphus balteatus var. proximus Abréu, 1924: 40 . Type locality: Canary Is. (La Palma, en la Dehesa de la Encarnación). Syrphus balteatus var. signatus Abréu, 1924: 41 . Type locality: Canary Is. (La Palma).

Material examined: 1 male, Behig , 28.II.1927, leg. Tewfik ; 1 male, Maadi , 3.I.1930, leg. Efflatoun ; 2 females, Alexandria, Smouha , 21.II.1938, leg. Carneiri [EFC]; 1 female, Kafr Hakim , 17.II.1926 ; 1 male, Mersa Matrouh , 18.III.1933 [PPDD, specimens published in Shaumar & Kamal (1978)].

World distribution: AU: Australia. OR: Widespread. PA: Widespread.

Egyptian localities: Coastal Strip: Alexandria, Al-Hammam, Behig, Mariout, Mersa Matrouh. Gebel Elba:?. Lower Nile Valley & Delta: Abu-Rawash, El-Marg, Giza, Kafr Hakim, Kombira, Maadi, Shubra. Sinai: Ein Gedeirat [Sources: as Syrphus balteatus in Efflatoun (1922, 1925 ) and Shaumar & Kamal (1978), in addition to the examined museum material].

Activity period in Egypt: Throughout the year.

Remarks: Adults highly migratory, usually fly within 2m of the ground. Males hover both singly and in groups, at up to 4– 5 m. When hovering in groups the individual males maintain a space around themselves, chasing off other males which intrude into that space. They are evidently aware of each other’s position however, since when one changes its orientation while hovering, all other members of the hovering group also re-orient themselves to each other. This species usually visits a wide range of white, yellow and pink flowers, from trees to low-growing plants and including nectarless flowers ( Alderman 2010, 2012; Speight 2017).In Egypt, the larvae are known to feed on aphids of broad bean ( Vicia faba ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) ( Efflatoun 1922).