About Episyrphus viridaureus (Wiedemann, 1824)
This hoverfly, Episyrphus viridaureus (Wiedemann, 1824), has an orange-yellow body with narrow dark bands across its abdomen. The upper surface of its thorax is covered by a black metallic shield, and the remaining area of the thorax is covered with orange-yellow hairs. A metallic blue section sits on the forehead between the species' dark purple eyes. Adults grow up to 35 mm in total length, and most individuals are typically 10 to 20 mm long. Abdominal coloration in this species is strongly temperature-dependent. When pupae develop at 15°C instead of 25°C, the anterior and posterior abdominal bands grow thicker. Other traits, including antenna color, lunule markings, the extent of microtrichia on the alula, sternal markings, and the core 'theme' of abdominal patterns, are not affected by developmental temperature. This species is found on the east coast of Australia, where it is the most commonly collected species in the genus Episyrphus. Its Australian distribution extends from the Iron Range in northern Queensland to an area south of Sydney. It also occurs in Malaysia, Indonesia, and New Caledonia, and GBIF records additionally document its presence in India and southeast Asia.
