Species details

Parasyrphus malinellus (Collin, 1952)

Nomenclature

Syrphus malinellus Collin in Coe (1953).

Biology

The larva is undescribed, but larvae of this genus are usually arboreal predators of adelgids and pine aphids. Adults are found along rides in conifer plantations, and in partially-coniferised deciduous woodland, where they fly amongst the conifer foliage at some height, descending to visit flowers.

Distribution

Described as new to science in 1952 on the basis of British material caught between 1932 and 1942. It occurs widely across Britain and is now known to be much more abundant in Scotland than data suggested when the Provisional Atlas (Ball & Morris, 2000) was published.