Genus Eupeodes

Metasyrphus Matsumura 1917, Macrosyrphus Matsumura 1917

Eupeodes Osten Sacken 1877

21 spp. in 2 subgenera in our area(1)

~10 mm

The only genus in the Syrphini that has long hairs on the lower lobe of the calypter is Syrphus and that is used to separate the genus from all related genera.

Most Syrphus (not all) and some species in other genera have a dull mesonotum. Many Syrphinae have a strongly shining mesonotum, sometimes with two whitish stripes near the anterior margin. When you look carefully you can sometimes discern very vague stripes in some other species.

A character of Eupeodes not found in Syrphus is the margined abdomen (see thumbnails below). A less reliable character is that Eupeodes has paired tergal spots that may merge to form bands. (Paul Beuck)

In Eupeodes the yellow markings don't quite reach the edge of the abdominal tergites, and the abdomen is strongly margined. Taken together, these rule out Epistrophe, whose markings usually reach the edge, and are usually unmargined. The exception is Epistrophe (Epistrophella) emarginata, but it doesn't really look like Eupeodes. It is really variable though, so it can make IDing Syrphini by eye tricky. (Andrew Young)

in Eupeodes (left), abdomen had a black margin, lacking in Syrphus (right):

cosmopolitan; throughout North America

Larvae feed on aphids although they also take other available food, adults take nectar from flowers

Larva, puparium, adult male

Fluke C.L. (1952) The Metasyrphus species of North America (Diptera, Syrphidae). American Museum Novitates 1590 (Full text)