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

Merodon moenium (Wiedemann, 1822)

  • Merodon cf. moenium, male 9857
    Merodon moenium (Wiedemann, 1822)     
    Merodon cf. moenium, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2020-07-09 17:15:44
    Image number: 9857
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2020-07-09 17:15:44
  • Merodon cf. moenium, male 9858
    Merodon moenium (Wiedemann, 1822)     
    Merodon cf. moenium, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2020-07-09 17:15:31
    Image number: 9858
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2020-07-09 17:15:31
  • Merodon cf. moenium, male 9859
    Merodon moenium (Wiedemann, 1822)     
    Merodon cf. moenium, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2020-07-09 17:15:35
    Image number: 9859
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2020-07-09 17:15:35
  • Merodon cf. moenium, male 9860
    Merodon moenium (Wiedemann, 1822)     
    Merodon cf. moenium, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark; 2020-07-09 17:15:28
    Image number: 9860
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Stadtpark
    2020-07-09 17:15:28

Classification:
Merodon moenium belongs to the subfamily Eristalinae, tribe Merodontini (=Eumerini).
Distribution:
Europe: From southern Sweden south to the Mediterranean, from France east to the Black Sea coast.
Habitat:
Various open habitats, such as grasslands, also open sunny forests.
Description:
Body length approx. 10 - 13 mm; slim; thorax with 4 weakly formed, white dusted longitudinal stripes; abdomen cone-shaped, 2nd and 3rd tergits with orange side spots, 3rd and 4th tergits with oblique dusted stripes; tibiae always partly dark.
Biology:
Merodon moenium flies from May to August. Both sexes regularly visit flowers.
Larvae of the genus Merodon feed on the bulbs or rhizomes of monocotyledons.
Annotation:
Merodon moenium belongs to the Merodon avidus species complex.

References, further reading, links:
  1. Gerald Bothe: Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Schwebfliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) Deutschlands und der Niederlande, DJN, 1984, ISBN 3-923376-07-3
  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. 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.
  4. Ačanski, Jelena, Ante Vujić, Mihajla Djan, Dragana Obreht Vidaković, Gunilla Ståhls & Snežana Radenković: Defining species boundaries in the Merodon avidus complex (Diptera, Syrphidae) using integrative taxonomy, with a description of a new species. European Journal of Taxonomy(237)2016: 1-25.
  5. Dunja, Popović & Ačanski, Jelena & Djan, Mihajla & Obreht Vidakovic, Dragana & Vujic, Ante & Radenkovic, Snezana. (2015). Sibling species delimitation and nomenclature of the Merodon avidus complex (Diptera: Syrphidae). European Journal of Entomology. 112. 10.14411/eje.2015.100.