Synonyms:
Scaeva cincta Fallen, 1817: 45.
Syrphus placidus Meigen, 1822: 322.
Fagisyrphus cinctus (Fallen, 1817).
Fallen, C.F. (1816-1817) Syrphici Sveciae. Pp. 1-14 [1816.06.08], 15-22 [1816.06.08], 23-30 [1817.05.10], 31-42 [1817.05.20], 43-54 [1817.05.21], 55-62. [1817.05.22] Berlingianis, Lundae [= Lund].
New description:
MALE.
Head: Face with small facial tubercle, yellow, yellow pilose; gena black; frontal triangle yellow, brownish pilose; vertical triangle black, black pilose; antenna brown, basoflagellomere orangish ventrally; arista brown, bare; occiput black, silver pollinose, withish pilose, more yellowish dorsally.
Thorax: Scutum shiny black with golden pollinosity anteriorly, yellow long pilose; postpronotum bare; postpronotum and notopleuron yellow; scutellum yellow, yellow pilose, subscutellar fringe complete with yellow pile. Pleuron shiny black except posterior anepisternum with a posterior yellow macula, grey pollinose dorsomedially, yellow pilose; metasternum bare; calypter yellow; plumula white; halter yellow; spiracular fringes yellow. Wing: Wing membrane mostly hyaline, mainly microtrichose except cell CuP anteriorly and cell BM on basal 1/3-1/2. Alula broad, microtrichose. Legs: entirely yellow except coxae dark, meso- and metafemora with apical brown macula and metatarsus brown.
Abdomen: Parallel-sided, unmargined. Dorsum mainly black, black pilose dorsally on black areas and yellow pilose laterally and dorsally on yellow areas; 1st tergum black; 2nd tergum black with 2 mesolateral triangular yellow maculae; 3rd tergum black with basal broad yellow fascia; 4th tergum black with basal broad yellow fascia; 5th tergum black with 2 very small yellow maculae on anterolateral corner; male genitalia small.
Dusek and Laska (1967) designated a new genus for Scaeva cincta Fallen, Fagisyrphus. Vockeroth (1969) did not recognized Fagisyrphus and included cincta in Melangyna (Meligramma). World Catalogues followed him, but larval characters did not support a sister group relationship between them. Rotheray and Gilbert (1989) resolved Fagisyrphus ina polytomy with Melangyna, far away from Meligramma. The same result was found later by Rotheray and Gilbert (1999), but in the polytomy were also Parasyrphus and Syrphus.
Mengual et al. (2008) reported Meligramma as monophyletic and sister group of Fagisyrphus, being Dasysyrphus the sister group of both. These results supported the idea of Dusek and Laska (1967) resolving Fagisyrphus as sister to Meligramma and the generic status for Fagisyrphus.
Flowers visited by adults: white umbellifers; Acer pseudoplatanus, Crataegus, Ligustrum, Malus sylvestris, Prunus spinosa, Rubus idaeus, Salix, Sambucus nigra, Sorbus aucupariae, Urtica dioica, Viburnus opulus (Speight 2010).
Larvae have been reported feeding on Aleurodes brassicae (Aleyrodidae) and several species of aphids (Aphididae) (see Rojo et al. 2003 for a review).
The flight period in Europe for M. cinta is from April to June and from July to beginning September (Speight 2010).
Widespread species in Western Palaearctic, ranging from Fennoscandia south to Iberia and the Mediterranean; from Ireland eastwards through much of Europe into European parts of Russia and on to the Crimea and Turkey. According to Vockeroth (1980), North American records of this species are erroneous.
Adults are primarily arboreal, but descends to visit flowers; edges of clearings, tracksides etc.; males hover over tracks or in woodland glades, from 3 m. upwards (Speight 2010).
Adults' preferred environment: forest; deciduous forest (Fagus/Quercus) (Speight 2010).
Larva was described and figured by Dusek and Laska (1962, in German) from larvae on Fagus. Dixon (1960) provided the description of Heiss (1938) from North American specimens. Thus, I do consider this description as valid for Meligramma cincta.
Length 10.5-13 mm., width 33.25 mm., height 2-2.5 mm.; ground colour dark brown, mottled with pink or orange; six black oval dots on dorsal surface; all but last surrounded by white chain-like pattern; lateral serrations edged with white bars extending forwards and inwards; dorsoventrally flattened, elongate oblong and tapering gradually anteriorly; lataral margh serrated with unequal lobe-like projections on three slightly different planes, largest above and slightly posterior to other two; each projection bearing a segmental spine; integumental vestiture absent; body papillose; segmental spines typical. Posterior respiratory process: twice as long as broad; a basal nodular region extending twothirds length of tube; distal third smooth with a deep median groove; circular plates anterior, towards median groove; dorsal spurs acute, hollowed at base and placed on inner anterior edge of spiracular plates; four pairs interspiracular setae present; spiracles straight, equidistant, and raised on high rounded carinae.
Egg (from Chandler 1968).
White; mean length 1072 µ (n = 13, range 1010-1120 µ), mean width 387 µ; slightly rounded at both ends; surface patterning of small whitish plates or striations. Chorionic sculpturing: dorsally, axes with side-branches only occasionally in contact with those of neighbouring units; slight, non-particulate central areas, axes clearly visible; ventrally, large dots and rods not aggregated into groups. Ecological notes: Frequent; eggs found from May to August; primarily a spring species but with a small second generation in August; marked association with Phyllaphis fagi L. on beech, but also found on oak and sycamore; eggs laid singly.
unless otherwise stated