Thick-Legged Hover Fly

syritta pipiens

The Thick-Legged Hover Fly (Syritta pipiens) is a small, energetic, and highly common hoverfly species found globally. Often mistaken for a tiny wasp or bee due to its yellow-and-black coloration, this harmless insect is a fantastic garden helper. It spends its adult life darting between flowers, hovering in place with incredible precision, and feeding on pollen and nectar. Unlike many other hoverflies, it has noticeably swollen hind femora (thighs) lined with tiny spines, which give it its distinctive common name and unique silhouette.

Lebensraum: Found in a wide range of open environments, including suburban gardens, urban parks, meadows, and agricultural fields, typically near decaying organic material or flowering plants.

Aussehen

This small fly measures about 7 to 9 millimeters in length with a slender, elongated abdomen marked by orange-yellow spots or bars on a dark background. Its most defining physical trait is the dramatically swollen and thickened hind femur, which features a row of small black spines on the underside. Its face is covered in a silvery-white dust, and it possesses large, dark compound eyes that meet at the top of the head in males. Its wings are clear and lack complex patterning, extending straight along the body when at rest.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungDipteraFamilieSyrphidaeGattungSyritta

Thick-Legged Hover Fly

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Despite their wasp-like appearance, they have only one pair of wings and are completely incapable of stinging or biting.

Males are highly territorial and will aggressively chase away other insects, including much larger flies, from their sunny backyard perches.

They are among the most globally widespread hoverfly species, having been accidentally introduced to many regions via soil and compost transport.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Using rapid wingbeats of up to 300 times per second, they can hover perfectly motionless in mid-air and instantly change direction.

They possess yellow-and-black abdominal markings resembling stinging wasps, deterring potential predators despite being completely harmless.

The swollen, spiny hind femora allow males to firmly grip females during mating flights, securing their partner in mid-air.

Maße und Details

Länge: 1 cm
Flügelspannweite: 1-2 cm
Gewicht: 0.00001-0.00003 kg
Top Speed: 15 km/h
Gelegegröße: 50+
Brutzeit: 2-4 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

Adults feed on flower nectar and pollen for energy, while the larvae feed on bacteria found within decaying organic matter.

Altersunterschiede: Larvae are saprophagous detritivores feeding on bacteria in wet decomposing material, whereas adults are strictly nectar- and pollen-feeders.

Hauptnahrung

Flower nectar
Pollen
Decomposing plant matter
Manure-associated bacteria

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Adult hover flies are caught in mid-air by insectivorous birds like swallows.

mutualism

Wild Carrot

Daucus carota

Adult flies feed on nectar and pollen, transferring pollen between flowers in the process.

competitor

House Fly

Musca domestica

Larvae compete for decaying organic matter and bacterial food sources in compost and manure piles.

Merkmale

Für dieses Objekt sind noch keine Merkmal-Badges vergeben.

Auch bekannt als

Noch keine Alternativnamen vorhanden.

Sammlungen

Sammlungen für dieses Objekt erscheinen hier, wenn weitere Themen hinzugefügt werden.

Sicherheit

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Noch keine besonderen Sicherheitshinweise.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Wie identifiziert man Thick-Legged Hover Fly?

Der einfachste Weg, Thick-Legged Hover Fly zu bestimmen, ist die Verwendung der Naturführer-App Snappit.

Was ist der/die/das länge von Thick-Legged Hover Fly?

1 cm

Was ist der/die/das flügelspannweite von Thick-Legged Hover Fly?

1-2 cm

Was ist der/die/das gewicht von Thick-Legged Hover Fly?

0.00001-0.00003 kg

Was ist der/die/das top Speed von Thick-Legged Hover Fly?

15 km/h

Was frisst Thick-Legged Hover Fly?

Adults feed on flower nectar and pollen for energy, while the larvae feed on bacteria found within decaying organic matter.

Wo findet man Thick-Legged Hover Fly normalerweise?

Found in a wide range of open environments, including suburban gardens, urban parks, meadows, and agricultural fields, typically near decaying organic material or flowering plants.

Wie jagt Thick-Legged Hover Fly?

Foraging