Species details
Platycheirus splendidus Rotheray, 1998
NomenclatureSepatayed from Platycheirus scutats by Rotheray (1998).
BiologyBred from larvae collected from leaf-curl galls of Schizoneura ulmi on Wych Elm Ulmus glabra and also Brachycaudus sp. on White Campion Silene dioica. Adults closely resemble P. scutatus with which it was previously confused. Rotheray (1998) found that larvae enter diapause (unlike P. scutatus) not forming a puparium until the following spring and the few records of adults available so far support this, suggesting it has a short flight period early in the season.
DistributionWidely distributed across mainland Britain, including much of Scotland. The patchy distribution suggests that only a proportion of recorders make an effort to separate this species from the commoner P. scutatus.