Species Allograpta obliqua - Common Oblique Syrphid Fly

Common Oblique Hover Fly

Allograpta obliqua (Say 1823)

6-8.5 mm

It has transverse yellow bands on the abdomen, and two oblique yellow marks near the tip. Larvae(1) smooth, green, with a broad white median strip and prominent breathing tubes.

Separated from A. exotica by the yellow rather than black katepimeron. Often, the face also lacks a black vertical stripe, though this is not always reliable — while A. exotica always has a black stripe, A. obliqua is variable. In A. exocita, the stripe is distinctly a shiny coal black. There are also slight differences in the abdominal markings.

Adults are known from a variety of habitat and visit a variety of flowers(2)

Typically summer to early fall: Jun-Sep in KS, Jul in MN, May-Dec in NC (lower elevations), Jun-Sep in NC mountains, all year in so. FL

Larvae have been recorded feeding on many types of prey, including mites, Lepidoptera, psyllids, mealybugs, whiteflies and at least 50 species of aphids(2)

Larva --- Pupa --- Adult female --- Adult male

Allograpta exotica

Fact sheet (Weems 2004-2014)(4)