Afrosyrphus was related by Curran (1927) with Syrphus due to the presence of fine pile onthe dorsla surface of the ventral lobe of the calypter; but also considered close to Chrysotoxum because the elongate antennae, although the sides of the abdomen are not marginated in Afrosyrphus.

Afrosyrphus has antennae as long as the face, porrect, with basoflagellomere four or five times as long as wide, with sub-basal, bare arista; face perpendicular, with a low, nose-shaped tubercle below the middle; frontal triangle small, produced, not convex; male holoptic, bare; scutum with lateral margins diffusely yellowish, the scutellum yellow; legs normal except that the metafemora on the apical half and metatibia on the whole length bear long, dense pile on the dorsal and ventral surfaces; wing venation as in Syrphus, vein rm near the basal fifth of the DM cell; abdomen with parallel sides (probably less parallel and slightly wider in female); calypter with pile above on the inner apical portion.