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Genus Parhelophilus

Syrphid Fly - Parhelophilus laetus Parhelophilus - Parhelophilus laetus ID help please - Parhelophilus laetus Lejops or Parhelophilus? - Parhelophilus rex Parhelophilus? - Parhelophilus integer Parhelophilus divisus? - Parhelophilus divisus - female Parhelophilus obsoletus? - Parhelophilus obsoletus Helophilus sp. - Parhelophilus integer
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 Eristalini
Subtribe Helophilina
Genus Parhelophilus
Explanation of Names
Parhelophilus Girschner 1897
Numbers
10 spp. in our area(1), 14 total(2)
Size
9-11mm
Identification
Parhelophilus is closely allied to Helophilus and shares the dark-pale banded thoracic dorsum with this genus. Helophilus is generally larger, and has a bare facial stripe that lacks in Parhelophilus. Lejops also has a banded thoracic dorsum, but its abdomen is marked with white, longitudinal stripes, where Parhelophilus has yellow spots. Hccnet.
This genus is more "orange" and Helophilus is more lemon-yellow... also the legs are with less black than in Helophilus. The color of the stripes is also different, but hard to describe in words (comment by Martin Hauser, 2/12/10).
The narrow crossvein-like dark patch on the wing of Parhelophilus and Lejops is broad in Helophilus.(3)
key to spp. in(2)
Range
holarctic, incl. most of NA (almost all of our spp. transcontinental)(2)
Season
late summer to fall
Food
on goldenrod, asters, and other composite flowers
See Also
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.The genus Pleskeola Stackelberg (Diptera: Syrphidae), a junior synonym of Parhelophilus Girschner
Thompson F.C. 1997. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 99: 628-640.
3.Manual of Nearctic Diptera Volume 2
Varies for each chapter; edited by J.F. McAlpine, B.V. Petersen, G.E. Shewell, H.J. Teskey, J.R. Vockeroth, D.M. Wood. 1987. Research Branch Agriculture Canada.