Criorhina villosa

(Bigot, 1882)

Winter Bumblefly

Criorhina villosa, commonly known as the winter bumblefly, is a of hoverfly in the Syrphidae. It was formerly placed in its own , Merapioidus, before being reclassified into Criorhina. The species name has been subject to taxonomic confusion with a related Mexican species originally described as Romaleosyrphus villosus in 1882; as both species now share the genus Criorhina, the older name from 1879 takes precedence.

Criorhina villosa 2 by Ben Smith. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Criorhina villosa 1 by Ben Smith. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Criorhina villosa: //kraɪˈoʊrəˌna vɪˈloʊsə//

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Images

Distribution

United States and Canada

Seasonality

Active in winter months, as indicated by the 'winter bumblefly'

More Details

Taxonomic History

The was originally described in 1879, predating the 1882 description of Romaleosyrphus villosus from Mexico. When both species were subsequently placed in the Criorhina, the principle of priority required that the 1879 name Criorhina villosa be retained for this species, while the 1882 name required replacement for the Mexican species.