The database comprises a number of files in which information relating to European syrphid species is codified. In this, its first edition, the species of the Atlantic zone of the European Union are covered. In addition, some of the species of Mediterranean and Central Europe are covered. It is intended that future editions will provide more complete coverage of the European syrphid fauna. The species covered are listed in the Lists file.
Species Accounts.
The asterisked (*) files may, in the future, be downloaded .
File coverage and content.
Each file covers the species listed in the Lists file, except where stated otherwise (see below). In most of the files, a fuzzy coding system is used to indicate the degree of association of each species with each variable. This fuzzy coding system is operated as follows:
| degree of association | code |
| maximal | 3 |
| moderate | 2 |
| minimal | 1 |
| none | blank |
The coding system used in each file is indicated in the following notes.
Coding system: binary. Symbols: 1 = present; blank = absent.
The first column of this file provides species names in the standard format repeated in all other down-loadable files in which species names are used.
The second column provides the complete name of each of the species.
The remaining columns provide species lists for different parts of the Atlantic zone of Europe.
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Coding system: fuzzy.
The first column of this file provides the species names. The succeeding columns indicate the degree of association of these species with syrphid macrohabitats occurring in the Atlantic zone of Europe.
For syrphid macrohabitats which coincide with CORINE system "habitat categories" the corresponding CORINE category code is given. Definitions of these CORINE categories may be found in the CORINE "Habitats Manual".
However, many CORINE categories are phytosociological communities of flowering plants with no particular meaning as syrphid macrohabitats, so by no means all CORINE "habitat" categories are covered in this Macrohabitats file The macrohabitat categories which are not defined by CORINE are defined in the Glossary of Terms file in this database.
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Coding system: fuzzy.
The first column of this file provides the species names. The succeeding columns indicate the degree of association of the larvae of these species with syrphid microhabitat features occurring in the Atlantic zone of Europe. These features range from physical objects such as tree stumps to definable conditions of particular environmental parameters, such as water type. Definitions of the Microsite Feature categories covered may be found in the Glossary of Terms file.
View Microsite demo Excel File now (if you are running MS I.E. 3.0 or later on a IBM PC compatabible with a copy of Excel 2.0 or later)
View Microsite demo Excel File in tabulated text (.txt)format now
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Coding system: fuzzy.
The first column of this file provides the species names. The succeeding columns indicate the form of expression of various biological traits in the relevant life history phase of these species. The relevant life history phase is indicated for each trait. In cases where a species exhibits variability in its expression of a particular trait (this is frequent in the trait "number of generations per annum"), it will be coded for more than one expression of that trait.
Definitions of the trait categories covered may be found in the Glossary of Terms file.
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Status and Range file.
Coding system: fuzzy.
The first column of this file provides the species names. The Range categories indicate the range of each species within the Holarctic, providing most detail for Europe. Whether each species is known to occur outside the Holarctic is also indicated. The status categories provide a general indication of whether or no each species is threatened in Europe or various parts of Europe, including the Atlantic zone. The quality of available information does not permit rigorous application of the IUCN revised (1995) threat category criteria and species have been assigned to categories on the basis of best available expert opinion.
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The field forms are designed for the on-site recording of syrphid Macrohabitats and Microsite Features, by observational survey. They have been prepared for non-specialist use.
The Macrohabitat and Microsite Feature categories used on the forms correspond with those used in the Macrohabitats file and the Microsite Features file. However, some of the Microsite Features coded in the Microsite Features file are not readily observable in the field. These are not included on the Microsite Features field form. Definitions of categories used in the field forms may be found in the Glossary of Terms file.
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This file is for use in entering the results obtained from observational survey of the syrphid Macrohabitats and Microsite Features occurring on a site. The categories covered correspond with categories covered by the Macrohabitats and Microsite Features files.
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Categories used in the other files are listed here in alphabetical order, and defined.
View Demo Macrohabitat Glossary File
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Coding system: fuzzy.
The first column of this file provides the species names. The only species coded in this file are those known to occur in Ireland. The species are coded to indicate when, during the year, the adult flies may be found flying in Ireland. For this purpose, the year is divided into 24 half-month periods.
View Demo Flight Period Excel File
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Coding system: fuzzy.
The first column of this file provides the species names. The only species coded in this file are those known to occur in Central France. The species are coded to indicate when, during the year, the adult flies may be found flying in Central France. For this purpose, the year is divided into 24 half-month periods.
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A text file is provided, summarising available information on the species under a number of subheadings: preferred environment, adult habitat, flowers visited, flight period in Europe, larva (where described/figured, habitat/biology), range, determination (published keys/where figured- terminalia/where figured- whole animal/similar species/useful features. The species covered include all of the species known to occur in Ireland, Great Britain or central France. Each account incorporates reference to key literature and a general bibliography of these references is provided.
View Demo Species Accounts
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SYRPHIDAE (DIPTERA) DATABASE
In the considered opinion of the compilers this database is already an extremely powerful tool, enabling the use of Syrphidae in a range of environmental interpretation activities in most parts of the Atlantic zone of Europe.
It is being made available, free of charge, to subscribers to Volucella, so that they may explore its use, comment on its limitations AND contribute their knowledge about syrphids to the database to make it more comprehensive and more useful for us all. The database already contains a considerable amount of unpublished information, as well as incorporating a vast amount of published data. With your help it will become bigger and better.
It is time that Syrphidae became better known. This database could enable us to share comprehensive specialist knowledge about European hoverflies with university students, school children, environmental consultants and conservationists, as well as among ourselves.
The Internet provides us with a low-cost way of sharing this knowledge and getting it to potential users who would have great difficulty in finding either the money or the time to obtain it by other methods. There is no technical reason why it should not grow to cover species and habitats throughout Europe.
All collaborators will be acknowledged by name in this web-site unless they indicate that they do not wish to be mentioned.
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Useful Links of relevance to the Syrphidae Database
Queries concerning file contents should be addressed to speightm@indigo.ie
Queries concerning statistical treatment of the excel files to Emmanuel Castella
Queries concerning Internet version of the database to T.A. Lavery
Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators v.2
The Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators (ENTRI) service, an on-line tool
that integrates data about the content and status of
international environmental treaties with data about national
resource indicators, i.e. national-scale socioeconomic,
environmental, and earth science variables (including data
derived from remote sensing). ENTRI is a substantially upgraded
successor to the prototype Policy Instruments Database (PIDB),
which has been operational since August 1995."
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