Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Diptera (True flies) ➔ Family Syrphidae (Hoverflies)

Cheilosia pagana (Meigen, 1822)

Kleine Erzschwebfliege

Synonyms and other combinations:

Cartosyrphus kincaidi Shannon, 1922 | Chilosia floccosa Verrall, 1901 | Chilosia kincaidia Shannon, 1922 | Chilosia nigropilosa Strobl, 1898 | Chilosia platycera Hine, 1922 | Chilosia pulchripes Loew, 1857 | Eristalis maculicornis Bonsdorff, 1861 | Eristalis magnicornis Bonsdorff, 1861 | Syrphus subalpina Rondani, 1857 |

  • Cheilosia pagana, male 762
    Cheilosia pagana (Meigen, 1822)  Kleine Erzschwebfliege   
    Cheilosia pagana, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2009-07-12 12:19:19
    Image number: 762
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2009-07-12 12:19:19
  • Cheilosia pagana, female 652
    Cheilosia pagana (Meigen, 1822)  Kleine Erzschwebfliege   
    Cheilosia pagana, female
    DE, Chemnitz; 2004-07-04 10:06:04
    Image number: 652
    female
    DE, Chemnitz
    2004-07-04 10:06:04

Classification:
Cheilosia pagana belongs to the subfamily Eristalinae, tribe Rhingiini.
Distribution:
Fennoscandia south to Iberia; from Ireland eastwards through central and southern Europe into Turkey and Russia and on throughout Siberia.
Habitat:
Forest/open ground, open areas in deciduous and coniferous forests, forest edges, roadsides and meadows with shrubs.
Description:
Cheilosia pagana is with a body length of 6-9 mm a relatively small Cheilosia species with uniformly brownish tinted wings, (usually) bare eyes and partly yellow legs. The females are easily recognized by the very large orange third antenna segment. The species is variable in appearance.
Biology:
Cheilosia pagana flies from April to September. Adults visit yellow composites, Ranunculaceae, white umbellifers, Allium ursinum, Anemone nemorosa, Fragaria, Potentilla erecta, Primula, Prunus spinosa und Salix.
Larvae were found on fungus-infected rotting roots of Anthriscus sylvestris (Cow Parsley), Angelica und Heraclium.

References, further reading, links:
  1. Pape T. & Thompson F.C. (eds) (2017). Systema Dipterorum (version 2.0, Jan 2011). In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2017 Annual Checklist (Roskov Y., Abucay L., Orrell T., Nicolson D., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., DeWalt R.E., Decock W., De Wever A., Nieukerken E. van, Zarucchi J., Penev L., eds.). Digital resource at www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2017. Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. ISSN 2405-884X.
  2. Gerald Bothe: Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Schwebfliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) Deutschlands und der Niederlande, DJN, 1984, ISBN 3-923376-07-3
  3. M.C.D.Speight: Species Accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera), Glasgow 2011, Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae, vol. 65, 285 pp., Syrph the Net publications, Dublin.
  4. Menno Reemer, Willem Renema, Wouter van Steenis, Theo Zeegers, Aat Barendregt, John T. Smit, Mark P. van Veen, Jeroen van Steenis, Laurens van der Leij: De Nederlandse Zweefvliegen (Diptera: Syrphidae), Nederlandse Fauna 8, 2009.