Chrysotoxum is a relatively large genus of wasp-mimicing hoverflies called meadow flies. There are 101 currently recognized Chrysotoxum species worldwide, 13 species in North America north of Mexico, and at least 5 species in Minnesota.

Adults are very common in North America and Europe. The biology of the larvae is little known for most species. Of those where it is known, the larvae are predators of aphids.

Photo by Alfredo Colon

Description

Meadow flies are medium sized to very large, ¼″ to 11⁄16″ (6.9 to 17.4 mm) in length.

The face is yellow with a black stripe in the middle. It is concave and there is a low, rounded, bump-like extension (tubercle) near the lower margin. The antennae are long, and they have three segments. The third segment is longer than the first two segments combined.

The abdomen is broad and black with distinct yellow bands. The rear corners of the second through fourth abdominal segments project slightly to strongly rearward beyond the margin of the next segment.


Distribution
		Sources 24, 27, 29, 30, 82, 83. Telford, Horace S.. (1939). The Syrphidae of Minnesota. University of Minnesota. Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. Skevington, J. H., Locke, M. M., Moran, K., Marshall, S. A., Crins, W. J., Young, A. D. (2019). Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America. United States: Princeton University Press.
4/20/2024


Taxonomy
Order	Diptera (flies)
Suborder	Brachycera
Infraorder	Muscomorpha (=Cyclorrhapha)
Zoosection	Aschiza
Superfamily	Syrphoidea
Family	Syrphidae (hover flies)
Subfamily	Syrphinae (typical hover flies)
Tribe	Syrphini

Subordinate Taxa
Aztec meadow fly (Chrysotoxum aztec) blackshield meadow fly (Chrysotoxum flavifrons) broad-banded meadow fly (Chrysotoxum plumeum) Chinook meadow fly (Chrysotoxum chinook) meadow fly (Chrysotoxum fasciatum) meadow fly (Chrysotoxum fasciolatum) meadow fly (Chrysotoxum laterale) meadow fly (Chrysotoxum villosulum) meadow fly (Chrysotoxum willistoni) narrow-banded meadow fly (Chrysotoxum derivatum) punctate meadow fly (Chrysotoxum radiosum) southwestern meadow fly (Chrysotoxum ypsilon) yellow-throated meadow fly (Chrysotoxum pubescens)

Synonyms


Common Names
meadow flies

Glossary

Tubercle

On plants and animals: a small, rounded, raised projection on the surface. On insects and spiders: a low, small, usually rounded, knob-like projection. On slugs: raised areas of skin between grooves covering the body.


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Alfredo Colon


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Syrphid fly - Chrysotoxum
Stoil Ivanov

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Published on Sep 19, 2018

Syrphid fly - Chrysotoxum - Illinois Beach State Park, Lake County, Illinois, USA
September 2, 2018 Unfortunately impossible to ID to species

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