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Genus Copestylum

Copestylum mexicana - Copestylum mexicanum flower fly - Copestylum mexicanum Copestylum marginatum - female Fly hoovering in one spot - Copestylum isabellina Syrphiid Fly - Copestylum vittatum Copestylum? - Copestylum opalescens - male Large Bee Fly. ? - Copestylum Copestylum haagii? - Copestylum haagii
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon ("Aschiza")
Family Syrphidae (Hover Flies)
Subfamily Eristalinae
Tribe Volucellini
Genus Copestylum
Explanation of Names
Copestylum Macquart 1846
Numbers
35 spp. in 3 subgenera in our area(1), >300 total
Size
6-16 mm
Identification
Note distinctive "snout" of this and related genera. Copestylum has plumose arista and distinctive wing venation. See (1)
Range
New World, mostly tropical; in our area, across the US + sw. Canada(1); 4 spp. introduced to Hawaii and the Canary Is.
Habitat
larvae develop in various kinds of decaying organic matter (saguaro, rotting banana stumps, paw-paw, exudates from Timbo, etc.) and also found in the water-filled bracts of Heliconia spp. (Marcos-García & Pérez-Bañón 2001); adults on flowers
Print References
Marcos-García M.A., Pérez-Bañón C. (2001) Immature stages, morphology and feeding behavior of the saprophytic syrphids Copestylum tamaulipanum and Copestylum lentum (Diptera: Syrphidae). Eur. J. Entomol. 98: 375-385. (Full text)
Internet References
Works Cited
1.Key to the genera of nearctic Syrphidae
Miranda G.F.G, Young A.D., Locke M.M., Marshall S.A., Skevington J.H., Thompson F.C. 2013. Can. J. Arthropod Identification 23: 1‒351.
2.Syrphidae of Ontario