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Classification:

Dasysyrphus albostriatus belongs to the subfamily Syrphinae, tribe Syrphini.

Distribution:

From Fennoscandia south to Iberia; from Ireland eastwards through central and southern Europe (Italy, the former Yugoslavia) to Crete, Turkey and European parts of Russia (from the north to the Crimea and the Caucasus); into central Asia to Tuva; north Africa; Japan.

Habitat:

Forest, up to the lower limits of the alpine zone.

Description:

The 8 - 10 mm long Dasysyrphus albostriatus has a shiny thorax with 2 white longitudinal stripes in the front area. On the abdomen there are 3 pairs of oblique yellow stripes, which can sometimes be connected in the middle. The eyes are hairy.

Biology:

Dasysyrphus albostriatus flies in two generations from April to October. This species is a confirmed migrator.
Adults are flower visitors of different herbs, shrubs and trees, including yellow composites, white umbellifers, Papaver, Ranunculus, Euphorbia, Succisa pratensis, Calluna, Crataegus, Lonicera xylosteum, Rubus, Salix, Sorbus and Acer pseudoplatanus.
The predatory Dasysyrphus larvae feed mainly on various aphid species on trees and shrubs, including pines, but also on other soft-bodied insects. They lurk motionless looped around a twig and invisible by their color until a prey approaches.
The species has an obligatory diapause as a full-grown larva. Pupation takes place in the litter layer.

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.
3. Gerald Bothe: Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Schwebfliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) Deutschlands und der Niederlande, DJN, 1984, ISBN 3-923376-07-3
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.