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

Helophilus hybridus Loew, 1846

Helle Sumpfschwebfliege

Synonyms and other combinations:

Helophilus henricii Schnabl, 1880 | Helophilus latitarsis Hunter, 1897 |

  • Helophilus hybridus 589
    Helophilus hybridus Loew, 1846  Helle Sumpfschwebfliege   
    Helophilus hybridus
    DE, Chemnitz; 2003-07-26 12:20:07
    Image number: 589

    DE, Chemnitz
    2003-07-26 12:20:07
  • Helophilus hybridus 5704
    Helophilus hybridus Loew, 1846  Helle Sumpfschwebfliege   
    Helophilus hybridus
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2012-08-23 11:57:16
    Image number: 5704

    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2012-08-23 11:57:16
  • Helophilus hybridus 5703
    Helophilus hybridus Loew, 1846  Helle Sumpfschwebfliege   
    Helophilus hybridus
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2012-08-23 11:57:12
    Image number: 5703

    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2012-08-23 11:57:12

Classification:
Helophilus hybridus belongs to the subfamily Eristalinae, tribe Eristalini.
Distribution:
From Fennoscandia south to northern France; from Ireland eastwards through much of northern and central Europe (though very localised in the Alps) into Russia and on through Siberia to the Pacific coast; Serbia, Mongolia; in North America from Alaska to Nova Scotia and south to Utah.
Habitat:
Marshes, wet grasslands and moist forests.
Description:
Helophilus hybridus has a body length of 12.5 - 16 mm. The eyes are bald. The face has a wide, bare black median strip. The antennae are black, the third antenna segment is longer than it is wide. The hind margin of the abdomen segments 2 and 3 is narrow yellow. The hind femora are completely black or at the top very narrow yellow, the hind tibia are at the base 1/4 up to 1/3 yellow.
Biology:
Helophilus hybridus flies from April to September (probably in several generations).
The larvae occur in the mud with rotting plant material and were found in decaying rhizomes of cattail (Typha).

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.