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Common Globetail

Sphaerophoria scripta

The Common Globetail is a small, friendly insect that loves to fly around flowers. Its bright colors and unique shape make it easy to spot in gardens and fields.

Habitat: Urban areas

Appearance

The Common Globetail is a slender hoverfly with a distinctive long, tapering abdomen marked with bright yellow and black stripes. It has large reddish-brown eyes and clear, delicate wings. Its coloration mimics a wasp, making it visually distinct from most other flies.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderDipteraFamilySyrphidaeGenusSphaerophoria
Common Globetail
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Common Globetail

Category

Insects

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

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Interesting facts

Baby Globetails, called larvae, don't have legs and look like tiny, hungry slugs!

Even though they look like stinging wasps, Common Globetails cannot sting at all!

Some Globetail females can lay up to 800 tiny eggs during their short adult life!

They taste food with their feet and use their antennae to smell for tasty nectar!

Special abilities

Ability

Hover Master

Common Globetail can hover perfectly still in the air because of its agile wing movements, which helps them search for flowers or mates.

Ability

Disguise Artist

Common Globetail has a bright yellow and black striped body that helps them look like a stinging wasp, scaring away predators.

Ability

Pest Patrol (Larva)

Common Globetail larvae can eat hundreds of aphids because of their predatory nature, which helps protect plants from pests.

Ability

Flower Friend

Common Globetail can transfer pollen between flowers because it feeds on nectar, helping plants reproduce and grow.

Measurements & details

Wingspan
15-25 mm
Size
7-12 mm
Lifespan
10-30 days
Flight Speed
5-10 km/h
Leg Count
6

Diet & Feeding

Adults drink nectar and eat pollen; larvae feast on aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects.

Age differences: Larvae are predatory, eating aphids; adults consume nectar and pollen from flowers.

Primary Foods

  • Nectar
  • Pollen
  • Aphids
  • Scale insects
  • Small caterpillars

Foraging Method

  • Foraging

Ecological connections

eats

Cotton aphid

Aphis gossypii

Larvae consume this common garden pest.

pollinates

Common Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

Adults visit this flower for nectar and pollen.

eaten by

Great Tit

Parus major

Adults and larvae can become food for insectivorous birds.

eaten by

European Garden Spider

Araneus diadematus

Adults may get caught in spider webs.

parasitizes

Ichneumonid Wasp

Diplazon laetatorius

Larvae are hosts for parasitic wasp eggs.

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

These insects are safe to watch, but don't try to catch them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Common Globetail's wingspan?

15-25 mm

How big is Common Globetail?

7-12 mm

How long does Common Globetail live?

10-30 days

How fast can Common Globetail fly?

5-10 km/h

What does Common Globetail eat?

Adults drink nectar and eat pollen; larvae feast on aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects.

Where is Common Globetail usually found?

Urban areas

How does Common Globetail hunt?

Foraging

How many legs does Common Globetail have?

6

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