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.

生息地: 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.

外見

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.

界Animalia門Arthropoda綱Insecta目Diptera科Syrphidae属Syritta

Thick-Legged Hover Fly

カテゴリ

昆虫

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

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おもしろい事実

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.

特殊能力

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.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 1 cm
翼開長: 1-2 cm
体重: 0.00001-0.00003 kg
Top Speed: 15 km/h
一度の産卵数: 50+
抱卵期間: 2-4 日

食性と食事

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

年齢による違い: Larvae are saprophagous detritivores feeding on bacteria in wet decomposing material, whereas adults are strictly nectar- and pollen-feeders.

主な食物

Flower nectar
Pollen
Decomposing plant matter
Manure-associated bacteria

採餌方法

Foraging

生態系とのつながり

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.

特徴

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別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Thick-Legged Hover Flyを見分けるには？

Thick-Legged Hover Flyを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Thick-Legged Hover Flyの長さは何ですか？

1 cm

Thick-Legged Hover Flyの翼開長は何ですか？

1-2 cm

Thick-Legged Hover Flyの体重は何ですか？

0.00001-0.00003 kg

Thick-Legged Hover Flyのtop Speedは何ですか？

15 km/h

Thick-Legged Hover Flyは何を食べますか？

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

Thick-Legged Hover Flyは通常どこに生息していますか？

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.

Thick-Legged Hover Flyはどのように狩りをしますか？

Foraging