# White-bowed Smoothwing (*Scaeva affinis*) The White-bowed Smoothwing is a friendly-looking fly with a bright, shiny body. It loves to buzz around flowers and helps plants by spreading pollen. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![White-bowed Smoothwing](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Scaeva_affinis.jpg&width=800) Photo: Jengod, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scaeva_affinis.jpg) ## Appearance The White-bowed Smoothwing is a medium-sized hoverfly with a black body marked by distinctive arc-shaped yellow bands on its abdomen, creating a 'bow' pattern. Its head features large reddish-brown eyes, and it has clear, iridescent wings. This fly lacks the thin 'waist' of a wasp or bee, making it visually different despite its mimicry. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Diptera - **Family:** Syrphidae - **Genus:** Scaeva ## Interesting facts - Its large eyes are made of thousands of tiny lenses for amazing all-around vision. - These harmless flies are often mistaken for stinging wasps or bees! - Wow, this little fly can actually fly backwards or even upside down! - Young White-bowed Smoothwings look like tiny, legless green slugs. ## Special abilities - **Master of Disguise:** White-bowed Smoothwing has a yellow and black striped body that helps them look like a stinging bee, scaring away predators. - **Aerial Acrobat:** White-bowed Smoothwing can hover perfectly still in the air because of its powerful wing muscles, letting them spot flowers or mates easily. - **Aphid Muncher:** Its larvae are incredible aphid predators, eating many tiny garden pests that helps protect plants and crops. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 18-25 mm - **Size:** 8-12 mm - **Lifespan:** 15-30 days - **Flight Speed:** 12 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Adults sip sweet nectar and pollen, while their young feast on tiny plant pests. - **Age differences:** Adults consume nectar and pollen; larvae are predatory, hunting aphids and other soft-bodied insects. - **Primary Foods:** nectar, pollen, aphids, mealybugs, small soft-bodied insects - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Black Bean Aphid (*Aphis fabae*) — Larvae prey on these common garden pests. - **Pollinates:** [Creeping Thistle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/creeping-thistle) (*Cirsium arvense*) — Adults visit flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Eaten by:** [Great Tit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-tit) (*Parus major*) — Birds may prey on adult hoverflies. - **Pollinates:** [Common Dandelion](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-dandelion) (*Taraxacum officinale*) — A frequent food source for adults. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low These flies are harmless, but it's best to watch them from a distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify White-bowed Smoothwing? Look for six legs, antennae, three body sections and the shape of the wings. Beetles have hardened front wings; flies have just one working pair. Tiny insects may need a close view before their group is clear. Insect Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is White-bowed Smoothwing's wingspan? 18-25 mm ### How big is White-bowed Smoothwing? 8-12 mm ### How long does White-bowed Smoothwing live? 15-30 days ### How fast can White-bowed Smoothwing fly? 12 km/h ### What does White-bowed Smoothwing eat? Adults sip sweet nectar and pollen, while their young feast on tiny plant pests. ### Where is White-bowed Smoothwing usually found? Urban areas ### How does White-bowed Smoothwing hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Last Chance Canyon](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/last-chance-canyon) — California, US · Natural Landmark - [Woodthrush Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/woodthrush-park) — California, US · Park ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [White-bowed Smoothwing: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-bowed-smoothwing)