[Syrphidae] Finding Female Episyrphus

[Perkins, Matthew]

Hello,

Sorry to trouble you, I am trying to catch female Episyrphus balteatus so that I can produce a supply of eggs in the lab. However I am having trouble finding any. I have located and caught plenty of males hovering under trees and bushes in hedgerows and parkland, but an extensive search of hedgrerow flower banks and buttercup fields has revealed no females. I wondered if anyone had  any good tips for finding females  - such as their favourite habitats or food plant species? I have managed to collect many female Syrphus ribesii amongst nettles and flowers in sunny hedge banks...but no Episyrphus.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as Im waiting on them to construct food chains in the lab.

Kind regards,

Matt Perkins

PhD Researcher
Center for Ecology & Conservation
The University of Exeter


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