Key to adults and larvae of the genera of European Syrphinae (Diptera, Syrphidae)

The name Syrphus and Epistrophe were widely used for most of the species of the present subfamily Syrphinae during the first half of the twentieth century. In the years 1967- 1969 there appeared three independent proposals where these polyphyletic genera were split into putative monophyletic genera and subgenera. The schemes were not identical, and some species in the genera Epistrophella, Meligramma, Fagisyrphus, Megasyrphus, Eriozona, Leucozona, Xanthogramma, Lapposyrphus and Simosyrphus have subsequently been arranged in various ways by different authors. Semiscaeva is now for practical purposes classified as subgenus of Scaeva, even though we would rather it were a genus. We give a key of adults of all 27 European genera and of larvae from 26 genera of Syrphinae. This classification is based on a long term detailed study of larvae and biology, on male genitalia and on some new adult characters. This system was almost fully supported by the molecular analysis. Only one change was made from that of the molecular analysis - the status of Lapposyrphus. Our discussion is limited to nine genera which have a different classification from that of the last 30 years. For the remaining 18 genera, up to now there are no doubts about their classification. Our discussion will justify the submitted nomenclature. The key and discussion are destined for use by authors of articles and local keys. Our classification remains open for further changes made on the basis of newly found characters. We do not recommend using older nomenclature arbitrarily.