Cheilosia nigripes


Cheilosia nigripes is a Palearctic hoverfly.

Description

Very similar to Cheilosia vicina with a black body bare eyes, black legs and fused antennal pits. The central prominence of the face gently slopes downwards. Male: all the thorax hairs black the tergites with fine punctures. Female:thorax with mainly dark hairs and tergites with coarse punctures. Wing length 6·25-7·5 mm

Distribution and biology

From Fennoscandia south to the Pyrenees; from England eastwards through Central
and Southern Europe into Turkey and European Russia
through Siberia and the Russian Far East to the Pacific.
The habitat is open grassy areas in Fagus, Abies and Picea forest up to the lowest levels of subalpine grassland. Flowers visited include white umbellifers Prunus padus, Ranunculus, Rubus idaeus, Taraxacum. Flies May to June, later at higher altitudes. The larva is undescribed.