Pyrophaena

Schiner, 1860

Species Guides

2

Pyrophaena is a of hoverflies ( Syrphidae) established by Schiner in 1860. Historically treated as a subgenus of Platycheirus, it has been elevated to generic status by some authorities. Phylogenetic studies indicate closer relationships to the genera Rohdendorfia, Syrphocheilosia, and Spazigaster than to the remainder of Platycheirus, though broader taxonomic sampling is needed to confirm its systematic placement.

Pyrophaena rosarum by (c) Owen Strickland, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Owen Strickland. Used under a CC-BY license.Pyrophaena rosarum by (c) Sandy Rae, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.Pyrophaena granditarsis by (c) S. Rae, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Pyrophaena: /paɪrəˈfiːnə/

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Identification

Pyrophaena have been distinguished from Platycheirus sensu stricto based on morphological characters, though specific diagnostic features are not detailed in available sources. The contains two recognized species: Platycheirus granditarsus and Platycheirus rosarum, which retain their original species epithets under the alternative classification.

Images

Distribution

Recorded from Denmark (DK), Norway (NO), and Sweden (SE) based on GBIF distribution data. The full geographic range is incompletely documented.

Similar Taxa

  • PlatycheirusPyrophaena has been treated historically as a subgenus of Platycheirus; the two share general hoverfly but differ in phylogenetic affinities and subtle morphological characters.
  • RohdendorfiaPhylogenetic analysis places Pyrophaena closer to Rohdendorfia than to the core Platycheirus lineage.
  • SyrphocheilosiaPhylogenetic analysis indicates a close relationship between Pyrophaena and Syrphocheilosia within the Syrphinae.
  • SpazigasterMolecular phylogenetic studies group Pyrophaena with Spazigaster rather than with Platycheirus sensu stricto.

More Details

Taxonomic status

The elevation of Pyrophaena from subgenus to remains provisional. The Catalogue of Life recognizes Pyrophaena as an accepted genus, while GBIF treats it as a higher-rank match, reflecting ongoing taxonomic uncertainty. A comprehensive phylogenetic survey of Platycheirus and related genera is needed to resolve its definitive classification.

Included species

Two are currently associated with Pyrophaena: Platycheirus granditarsus (Forster, 1771) and Platycheirus rosarum (Fabricius, 1787). These species were originally described under Platycheirus and have not been formally recombined under Pyrophaena in all taxonomic treatments.

Sources and further reading