hoverfly

Pipiza is a genus of small black hoverflies. There are 52 Pipiza species worldwide, 11 species in North America north of Mexico, and at least 3 species in Minnesota.

Adults are found flying around shrubs and through low plants. They feed on flower nectar and pollen. Larvae are predaceous. They feed on aphids and phylloxera.

An important identification feature of “higher Diptera”, those in the suborder Brachycera, is the postpronotal lobes. Hoverflies in the subfamily Syrphinae have no hairs on the postpronotal lobes. The back of the head is strongly concave and tightly appressed to the thorax. On the male the eyes meet at the top of the head. When viewed from above, the male has five visible abdominal segments.

Hoverflies in the tribe Pipizini have a hairy, evenly rounded face. There are never unbroken yellow or other shining bands across the abdomen.

Pipiza are dark, small to medium-sized hoverflies. The face is flattened and does not have small rounded bumps (tubercles). It is as wide or wider below, at the sides of the mouth, than above, at the antennae. The antennae are shorter than the head. The wings are short and wide. On the hind leg, the third segment (femur) is slender and slightly enlarged at the tip (apex).

Sources

24, 29, 30.

Telford, Horace S.. (1939). The Syrphidae of Minnesota. University of Minnesota. Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station.

This genus has no common name. The common name for the family Syrphidae is hover flies, and it is used here for convenience.

Location: Woodbury, MN