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Hello,

this syrphid larvae is from my garden near Cologne from july. It was about 8m long.

In an old thread I found pictures of Epistrophe elegans larvae, which were rather similar for me. Is this too E. elegans, or what else?

And second question - what does this larvae feed?

Thanks,
Michael

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According to pictures in Rotheray's Color Guide to Hoverfly Larvae, it should be Epistrophe eligans indeed.
It feeds on Aphidae (like almost all Syrphini).

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Hello Andre,

many thanks for your answer. Of course you are right - eligans, not elegans. I asked for the feeding, because I found the larvae on the ground under a piece of wood. So I thought, perhaps I have one of the few species, which do not eat aphidae.

Greetings,
Michael

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Interesting! But it could have been hiding during the day. And also, when the larva has been grown, it could be that it searches a place to get through the winter.

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Interesting. That's a rare one you found there. I never seen such thing in my life. Thanks for sharing.





davidshawn9
Simulation prêt

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Hi,
I would be a little bit more careful as to the ID: there are more species of Epistrophe that look like this when they have reached their third instar. In my own experience, also the larvae of E. melanostoma and E. nitidicollis have this appearance. In some (maybe even all) cases the white dorsomedian stripe only appears after the larva has stopped feeding, i.e. at the end of spring when it gets ready for diapausing all through the summer and winter. This is also the time they move away from the aphid colonies on trees and shrubs, to find a more sheltered place among leaf litter etc.
If you want to find more: search in May among aphid colonies on shrubs and trees!