Brachyopini

Brachyopini can be distinguished from other hoverfly tribes by their generally darker, less colorful adult coloration compared to the often bright yellow-and-black patterns seen in many Syrphidae. Some genera within the tribe, particularly Chrysogaster, display metallic blue or green luster. The tribe comprises two subtribes: Brachyopina (including Brachyopa, Chrysogaster, Orthonevra, and related genera) and Spheginina (including Sphegina, Neoascia, and related genera).

Members of this tribe occupy two primary habitat types. Genera such as Brachyopa are associated with sap runs on trees, where larvae develop. Other genera inhabit boggy or wetland areas where larvae are semiaquatic.

The tribe has been documented across Europe including the Iberian Peninsula (Spain), Ukraine, Norway, and Germany. Specific locality records include Jaén (Sierra de Cazorla), Alicante (Alcoy, Font Roja), Granada (Sierra Nevada), and Valencia (Chelva) in Spain.

Larvae feed on decaying organic matter. In Brachyopa, larvae consume decaying sap. In bog-dwelling genera, larvae feed on decaying organic matter in semiaquatic conditions.

Adults are pollinators. The tribe contributes to ecosystem services including pollination, consistent with broader hoverfly family characteristics.

• other Syrphidae tribesBrachyopini differs from most other hoverfly tribes in its generally darker, less colorful adult appearance rather than the typical yellow-and-black mimicry patterns.

• hoverflies
• Syrphidae
• sap runs
• wetlands
• pollinators

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• New Records of Hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) from Ukraine. II. Brachyopini and Merodontini
• Assessing the Diversity and Systematics of Brachyopini Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) in the Iberian Peninsula, Including the Descriptions of Two New Species.