Criorhina ranunculi (Panzer, 1804)

Prokhorov, A. V., Popov, G. V. & Zaika, M. I., 2018, Rare Species Of Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) From Ukraine. Ii. Callicerini, Cerioidini And Milesiini, Ukrainska Entomofaunistyka 9 (2), pp. 15-22 : 18-19

Criorhina ranunculi (Panzer, 1804) ( Fig. 5)

Belke, 1859: 129 (ruficauda M.) (Kamianets-Podilskyi); Stackelberg & Richter, 1968: 267 (Kyiv Reg.); Stackelberg, 1970: 88 ( Criorrhina ) ( Ukraine); Lishchuk, 2012: 20 (Khmelnytsky Reg.).

Material examined from Ukraine: Zakarpattia Region: Kamianytsia env., 48.70N 22.43E, Uzh River valley (left bank), deciduous forest, 10.05.2017, 1 ♀ ; Kyiv Region: Zavorychi env., 50.68N 31.09E, deciduous forest, 26.04.2017, 1 ♀ ; Irpin env., 50.50N 30.28E, Lyubka River floodplain forest, 13.04.2018, on flowers of Salix sp. , 3 ♂, 2 ♀ ; Kotsiubynske env., 50.47N 30.30E, clearing in mixed forest, 17.05.2017, on flowers of Crataegus sp. , in copula, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Kyiv, Muromets Is. on Dnipro River , 50.50N 30.54E, 6.04.2016, on flowers of Salix sp. , 1 ♂ ; idem, 17– 18.04.2018, on flowers of Acer platanoides , 2 ♂, 1 ♀ (A. Prokhorov) ; Lisnyky env., National Natural Park “Golosiivsky”, 50.29N 30.54E, deciduous forest, 28.04.2016, 1 ♂ (M. Zaika); idem, 3.05.2018, 1 ♂ ; Khodosivka env., 50.27N 30.50E, Vita River valley , 5.04.2016, on flowers of Salix caprea , 1 ♂ (A. Prokhorov).

Distribution: Austria,? Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, European Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine; Transcaucasia; Japan ( Stackelberg & Richter, 1968; Peck, 1988; Dirickx, 1994; Holinka & Mazánek, 1997; Vujić & Milankov, 1999; Mielczarek, 2009; Reemer et al., 2009; Van Eck, 2011; Williams et al., 2011; Borodin & Borodina, 2014; Speight, 2017; Checklist from Hungary, 2018; Checklist from Latvia, 2018).

Notes. This species can be said with confidence to be not so rare as it is local. In fact, for three years of this study the species has been recorded in all the localities, where large deciduous trees survived, especially overmature oaks trees. Infrequently but consistently, C. ranunculi is found in spring on flowering willows or maples. Females flying in search of a place to lay eggs are also observed from time to time.