Cheilosia vernalis is a Palearctic hoverfly. Description For terms see Morphology of Diptera The upper margin of the facial tubercle is smooth. The eyes have short black hairs. The post-alar calli and the margin of the scutellum have only short bristles. The normal length wings are usually hyaline. The wing length is 4 ·5-6·75 mm.,body length is 5.0 to 7.0mm.A very variable species. See references for determination. Distribution Scandinavia south to the Iberian Peninsula and from Ireland eastwards through central and southern Europe to Turkey', European parts of Russia, Russian Far East and Siberia. Habitat Very varied. Forest, pasture, montane grassland, alpine grassland, fen and dune systems. Biology Low-flying, over ground vegetation; males hover at 1-3m, in small clearings. Flowers visited include Caltha, Cirsium arvense, Leontodon, Leucanthemum, Menyanthes, Prunus spinosa, Ranunculus, Salix, Senecio, Taraxacum. Flies April to October The larva feedsin the stems of Achillea, Matricaria and Sonchus oleraceus and in the involucre of Tragopogon References Diptera of Europe Eristalinae Insects described in 1838 Taxa named by Carl Fredrik Fallén