Allograpta obliqua
Encyclopedia
Allograpta obliqua is a common North America
n species of hoverfly
. The larvae are important predators on aphid
s
, and cross banding on the abdomen; with four longitudinal, yellow stripes or spots on the fourth and fifth tergite. Yellow face lacking a complete median stripe. Eggs are creamy white, elongate oval and about 0.84 mm in length. Full grown larvae are 8–9 mm.
e hatch in two to eight days and feed on the aphids.
. Quebec
in Canada
, Bermuda
, Mexico
, and some parts of the Neotropical Americas, and the West Indies.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n species of hoverfly
Hoverfly
Hoverflies, sometimes called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the larvae eat a wide range of foods...
. The larvae are important predators on aphid
Aphid
Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies, are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...
s
Description
Adults are 6–7 mm long, with yellow stripes on the thoraxThorax
The thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.-In tetrapods:...
, and cross banding on the abdomen; with four longitudinal, yellow stripes or spots on the fourth and fifth tergite. Yellow face lacking a complete median stripe. Eggs are creamy white, elongate oval and about 0.84 mm in length. Full grown larvae are 8–9 mm.
Life history
Adults of A. obliqua occur throughout the year in the southern part of their range. Eggs are laid on surfaces leafs or branches near aphids. LarvaLarva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e hatch in two to eight days and feed on the aphids.
Distribution
Found in most of the continental United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and some parts of the Neotropical Americas, and the West Indies.