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

Eristalinus (Eristalodes) megacephalus (Rossi, 1794)

Synonyms and other combinations:

Eristalis fasciatus Germar, 1844 | Eristalis fasciatus Meigen, 1835 | Eristalis fasciatus Meigen, 1838 | Eristalis laetus Wiedemann, 1830 | Eristalis obscuritarsis Meijere, 1908 | Eristalis pallinevris Macquart, 1842 | Eristalis quinquefasciatus Schiner, 1849 | Eristalis quinquevittatus Macquart, 1849 | Eristalis ridens Walker, 1849 | Lathyrophthalmus ishigakiensis Shiraki, 1968 |

  • Eristalinus megacephalus, female 1153
    Eristalinus megacephalus (Rossi, 1794)     
    Eristalinus megacephalus, female
    ES, Mallorca, S'Albufera; 2009-09-19 10:22:39
    Image number: 1153
    female
    ES, Mallorca, S'Albufera
    2009-09-19 10:22:39
  • Eristalinus megacephalus, female 1154
    Eristalinus megacephalus (Rossi, 1794)     
    Eristalinus megacephalus, female
    ES, Mallorca, S'Albufera; 2009-09-19 10:23:41
    Image number: 1154
    female
    ES, Mallorca, S'Albufera
    2009-09-19 10:23:41
  • Eristalinus megacephalus, female 1155
    Eristalinus megacephalus (Rossi, 1794)     
    Eristalinus megacephalus, female
    ES, Mallorca, S'Albufera; 2009-09-19 10:23:17
    Image number: 1155
    female
    ES, Mallorca, S'Albufera
    2009-09-19 10:23:17

Classification:
Eristalinus megacephalus belongs to the subfamily Eristalinae, tribe Eristalini.
Distribution:
Southern Spain and coastal parts of Italy round the Mediterranean basin (including islands) to Turkey and on into Egypt and North Africa; southwards through the Afrotropical region to South Africa.
Habitat:
Open ground/freshwater; canal and riverside situations in open country; coastal lagoons.
Description:
Thorax brownish-black with more or less pronounced narrow light longitudinal stripes, scutellum yellowish-brown; abdomen variably colored, brownish-black with lateral orange-yellow spots on segment 2; eyes noticeably spotted, with yellowish ground color and reddish brown spots; legs mostly black with yellow hair, knees yellowish; wings transparent.
Eristalinus megacephalus differs from the other two European species with spotted eyes Eristalinus aeneus and Eristalinus sepulchralis due to the lateral orange-yellow spots on the abdominal segment 2.
Biology:
Eristalinus megacephalus flies mainly in March/April and September/October. Adults are flower visitors.
Larvae were found in streams containing a high content of organic matter also in running water contaminated by pig manure.

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. 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.