Species details

Epistrophe melanostoma (Zetterstedt, 1843)

Biology

The larva of this species is not described, but other members of the genus are aphidophagous, associated mainly with trees, shrubs and tall herbs. Adults have been found where grassland, woodland and scrub occur together, and in woodland clearings where they visit flowers. They are reported to fly extremely rapidly (Speight, 1988).

Distribution

This is primarily a south-eastern species. These is some evidence that its range is increasing but it remains largely associated with Surrey and Sussex. It is quite likely to have been overlooked and perhaps mistaken for E. nitidicollis.

Status

Lower risk (Nationally scarce) - Ball & Morris, 2010.