Cheilosia pagana is a Holarctic species of hoverfly. Like most Cheilosia it is black, and because of this may often be overlooked as a hoverfly. One identifying feature is a large red to orange 3rd antennal segment.
Description For terms see Morphology of Diptera
Wing length 4.75-8·5 mm. Antennae with third segment clear orange and very large:no furrow. Frons flat in male. Thoracic pubescence variable. Female scutellum entirely black. Legs part yellow. Tarsi 1 with pale central segments pale. Part of the pagana species group.Van der Goot, V.S. (1981) De zweefvliegen van Noordwest - Europa en Europees Rusland, in het bijzonder van de Benelux. KNNV, Uitgave no.32: 275pp. Amsterdam. Bei-Bienko, G.Y. & Steyskal, G.C. (1988) Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSR, Volume V: Diptera and Siphonaptera, Part I. Amerind Publishing Co., New Delhi. .Coe, R.L. (1953) Diptera: Syrphidae. Handbks.ident.Br.insects, 10(1): 1-98. R.ent.Soc.London. pdf
Distribution Present in most of Europe and in the eastern Palearctic realm. East to Siberia.Peck, L.V. (1988) Syrphidae. In: Soos, A. & Papp, L. (eds.) Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera, 8: 11-230. Akad.Kiado, Budapest. Nearctic
Biology Habitat: coniferous and deciduous woodland, unimproved grassland, along hedgerows in farmland and at roadsides. Scrub and carr. Flowers visited include yellow composites, Ranunculaceae, white umbellifers, Allium ursinum, Anemone nemorosa, Fragaria, Potentilla erecta, Primula, Prunus spinosa and Salix.de Buck, N. (1990) Bloembezoek en bestuivingsecologie van Zweefvliegen (Diptera, Syrphidae) in het bijzonder voor België. Doc.Trav. IRSNB, no.60, 1-167. Flight period is from May to September. In southern Europe, on the wing from mid March. Larvae are known to inhabit semi-liquid, decaying tissue of the roots of plants. There is a rearing record from decaying roots of Cow Parsley.
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