Platycheirus albimanus (Fabricius, 1781)
(a hoverfly)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesPlatycheirus albimanus (a hoverfly)
GenusPlatycheirus (a genus of hoverflies)
TribeBacchini (a tribe of hoverflies)
SubfamilySYRPHINAE (a subfamily of hoverflies)
FamilySYRPHIDAE (hover flies, drone flies, flower flies, hoverfly)
SuperfamilySYRPHOIDEA (hover flies, drone flies, flower flies & big-headed flies)
InfraorderEremoneura - Cyclorrhapha (an infraorder of flies)
OrderDIPTERA (two-winged flies)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Platycheirus albimanus (a hoverfly) :
1: Platycheirus albimanus (a hoverfly)
19 Apr 2018 OSGR: SY98 50° 40’ N, 2° 0’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
female, by general sweeping
Image 1: Female - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 2: Female - lateral view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 3: Female - ventral view - highly enlarged - silver background
2: Platycheirus albimanus (a hoverfly)
5 Apr 2018 OSGR: SU21 50° 60’ N, 1° 40’ W Vice County: South Hants (VC 11) England
Male, visiting Daisy
Image 1: Male - fore-parts and front legs - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 2: Male - head and thorax - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 3: Male - head and thorax - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 4: Male - head - anterior view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 5: Male - head - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 6: Male - head - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 7: Male - lateral view - highly enlarged - silver background
3: Platycheirus albimanus (a hoverfly)
24 Apr 2016 OSGR: SU00 50° 50’ N, 1° 60’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
Male, visiting Lesser Celandine
Image 1: Male - abdomen - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 2: Male - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 3: Male - foreleg - magnified - black backgroundImage 4: Male - foreleg - magnified - grey backgroundImage 5: Male - foreleg - magnified - silver backgroundImage 6: Male - head and fore-legs - magnified - silver backgroundImage 7: Male - head and thorax - front three-quarters & dorsal views - magnified - silver backgroundImage 8: Male - ventral view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 9: Wing - highly enlarged - white background
4: Platycheirus albimanus (a hoverfly)
4 May 2012 OSGR: SY58 50° 40’ N, 2° 40’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
visiting flowers, then settled on leaf of Ramsons
Image 1: Female - abdomen - dorsal view - magnified - white backgroundImage 2: Female - dorsal view - highly enlarged - white backgroundImage 3: Female - head and thorax - dorsal view - magnified - white backgroundImage 4: Female - head and thorax - lateral view - magnified - white backgroundImage 5: Female - head - anterior view - magnified - white backgroundImage 6: Female - head - antero-dorsal view - magnified - white backgroundImage 7: Female - lateral view - highly enlarged - white backgroundImage 8: Female - ventral view - highly enlarged - white backgroundImage 9: Wing - highly enlarged - white background
5: Platycheirus albimanus (a hoverfly)
12 Apr 1998 OSGR: SU97 51° 30’ N, 0° 40’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Male, at Dandelion flower
Image 1: Male - dorsal view - wings apartImage 2: Male - ventral and dorsal views
6: Platycheirus albimanus (a hoverfly)
29 Jul 1997 OSGR: SU83 51° 10’ N, 0° 50’ W Vice County: North Hants (VC 12) England
on Ragwort flowers
Image 1: Male - lateral and dorsal views

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Morris, R.K.A. & Ball, S.G. 2002 An introduction to British hoverflies and the Hoverfly Recording Scheme British Wildlife Vol 14, No 1: 38-45.

Platycheirus albimanus (a hoverfly) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Platycheirus albimanus (a hoverfly)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 0 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Platycheirus albimanus (a hoverfly)
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