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Species Chalcosyrphus piger

Chalcosyrphus piger - female Syrphid Fly Lekking? - Chalcosyrphus piger - male Syrphid - Chalcosyrphus piger Black fly with deep red abdomen on Verbascum thapsis (common mullein) - Chalcosyrphus piger Chalcosyrphus piger Mydas Fly? - Chalcosyrphus piger - male Possible Chalcosyrphus piger - Chalcosyrphus piger Chalcosyrphus piger? - Chalcosyrphus piger
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 Milesiini
Subtribe Xylotina
Genus Chalcosyrphus
No Taxon (subgenus Xylotomima)
Species piger (Chalcosyrphus piger)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Xylota pigra, Xylotina pigra
Explanation of Names
Chalcosyrphus piger (Fabricius 1794)
piger = 'slow, sluggish'
Size
9-13 mm(1)
Identification
Medium-sized; metafemora enlarged. Dark thorax, wings. Abdomen bright red. Tarsi usually (or always?) dark. Note short appressed (not erect) hairs on thorax(1). This, and related members of the genus with a similar pattern are likely mimics of wasps, specifically Astata, a spider wasp(2):
Range
holarctic, incl. most of NA (QC-BC to FL-CA-Mexico)(3)
Habitat
Tends to move toward hilltops and other open, high areas for mating(1)
Season
Mar-Nov in e.NC(4)
Works Cited
1.Syrphidae of Ontario
2.Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America
Eric Eaton, Kenn Kaufman. 2006. Houghton Mifflin.
3.Thompson F.C., Pape T., Evenhuis N.L. (2013) Systema Dipterorum, Version 1.5
4.Insects of North Carolina
C.S. Brimley. 1938. North Carolina Department of Agriculture.