Tropidiina
Subtribe of hoverfly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tropidiina is a subtribe of hoverflies within the tribe Milesiini. Tropidiina includes 11 genera.[1]
| Tropidiina | |
|---|---|
| |
| Tropidia scita in Yorkshire, England | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Syrphidae |
| Tribe: | Milesiini |
| Subtribe: | Tropidiina Hull, 1949 |
| Type genus | |
| Tropidia | |
| Genera | |
Tropidiina, although traditionally classified within the tribe Milesiini, has also been found to be a sister group to the tribe Eristalini in recent phylogenetic studies, indicating that Milesiini, as currently defined, does not include all descendants of the last common ancestor, making Milesiini polyphyletic.[2]
Classification
Tropidiina is one of eight subtribes in Milesiini, the other seven being Blerina, Criorhinina, Milesiina, Pocotina, Sericomyiina, Temnostomina and Xylotina.[3]
Characteristics
Key characteristics of Tropidiina include a thickened hind femur and a body shape narrowing progressively from rear to head.[4]
Distribution
Ecology and behaviour
Seasonality
Species in the subtribe Tropidiina are mainly active during the summer months, especially July.[6]
Observations recorded on platforms such as iNaturalist show that sightings of species in Tropidiina have increased noticeably over the past few years. As of 2025, numbers have doubled since 2020.[6]
Feeding
Larvae in the subtribe Tropidiina are usually saprophagous, and also contribute to pest control, as they are also aphidophagous. Adults in the subtribe Tropidiina are known to pollinate a wide range of flowers.[8]