Platycheirus rosarum

Platycheirus rosarum is a species of hoverfly found in the Holarctic realm. Like its close relative Platycheirus granditarsus, it can be found in marshy meadows and ditches; indeed, the two species can often be found together. The flight time is between May and October, though it peaks in abundance in June and July. Like other hoverfly in this genus, its larvae feed on aphids.^[1][2][3][4]

Platycheirus rosarum
male
female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Syrphidae
Genus:	Platycheirus
Species:	P. rosarum
Binomial name
Platycheirus rosarum (Fabricius, 1787)
Synonyms
Pyrophaena rosarum (Fabricius, 1787)

Description

External images For terms, see: Morphology of Diptera.
Tergite 2 is black. Tergite 3 and sometimes tergite 4 have a divided whitish to yellowish band. Male metatarsus 1 lacks a protuberance. Wings have a violet sheen.

See references for determination.^[5][6][7][8]

Distribution

Palearctic: Fennoscandia south to Iberia and the Mediterranean basin, Ireland eastward through Europe to European Russia and Siberia. Nearctic: Alaska to Nova Scotia and south to New Jersey. ^[9][10][11]

Habitat: Ireland.

Biology

Habitat: River, stream and pond margins with tall herbaceous vegetation and fen. Around the periphery of bogs, Salix swamp.^[12]