Syritta pipiens

Flower Fly / Hover Fly


Syritta pipiens, Syrphid Fly

 

Family: Syrphidae

Subfamily: Milesiinae

Length: typically 7-10 mm

 

Pérez-Bañón and Marcos-García (2000) described the range of Syritta pipiens as Palaearctic, Nearctic, and Oriental. Stone et al. (1965) stated the species is found in Eurasia and Africa, and in that in the Nearctic it ranges from British Columbia to Newfoundland, and south to California and Florida.

Pérez-Bañón and her co-author, reviewing the literature, stated that the larva of this species are not found in ponds or streams, but in decaying material including "garden compost heaps, silage, and manure." They even reported larvae in such specialized locations as decaying narcissus bulbs and in decaying Prickly Pear cactus.

Canovai (2000) reports that larvae of this species are of two types: "The 'short-tailed' larvae of S. pipiens usually develop in dung, manure, or similar decaying semisolid organic material, while the 'long-tailed' larvae like those belonging to the Eristalini tribe live in water with high organic content."Syrphid Fly, Syritta pipiens, family Syrphidae

Adult Syritta pipiens are preyed upon by birds. For example, researchers examining the fecal material of Willow Flycatchers found parts of Syritta pipiens as well as two other Syrphid flies (mentioned in Wiesenborn, Heydon, and Lorenzen, 2008).


 


Insects of West Virginia