Common Globetail
species of family “Hover Flies“
1 species
The species described is Sphaerophoria scripta, a hoverfly found worldwide in various regions including Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. They inhabit thickets, gardens, and meadows with flowering plants, and are effective pollinators for species like Galeopsis angustifolia and Silene gallica. Adult hoverflies feed on nectar and pollen, while their larvae consume aphids. Their life cycle can be as short as sixteen days, with up to nine generations in a year. S. scripta is migratory and overwinters as a larva.
Distribution#
This species has a worldwide distribution. It can be found in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, in the Near East, in the Nearctic realm, in North Africa and in the Indomalayan realm.
Habitat#
This species lives in thickets, gardens and meadows rich of flowering plants. Adults can pollinate flowering plants such as Galeopsis angustifolia andSilene gallica, which S. scripta are the most effective pollinators of.
Description#
Sphaerophoria scripta can reach a length of 7–12 millimetres (0.28–0.47 in) and a wingspan of 5–7 mm. Body is long and narrow, with yellow and black bands. The wings are transparent. Antennae are short and yellow. The face is yellow. Thorax is a bit dull, copper colored with broad yellow side stripes. Scutellum is yellow. Abdomen is long and cylindrical with four wide, yellow transverse bands. The legs are yellow. Females are brighter than the males. In the males the last two bands are often blurred.
Biology#
The adult hoverflies can be found from April to November. The larvae feed on aphids, while adult hoverflies feed on nectar and pollen of various species of Asteraceae, as well as on Heracleum sphondylium, Galeopsis tetrahit, Malva moschata and Parnassia palustris.These hoverflies can complete a full life cycle in as little as sixteen days (egg to egg-laying adult), and a maximum of nine generations may occur in a single year. This species is migratory and overwinter as larva.
Gallery#
== References ==
The species described is Sphaerophoria scripta, a hoverfly found worldwide in various regions including Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. They inhabit thickets, gardens, and meadows with flowering plants, and are effective pollinators for species like Galeopsis angustifolia and Silene gallica. Adult hoverflies feed on nectar and pollen, while their larvae consume aphids. Their life cycle can be as short as sixteen days, with up to nine generations in a year. S. scripta is migratory and overwinters as a larva.
Ancestry Graph
Further Information
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