Epistrophe fly larva

Description:

Epistrophe is a genus of flies in the family Syrphidae, the hoverflies or flower flies. These are medium-sized flies that live in forest habitat, where they occur on forest edges and in openings. The larvae are usually flat and green, blending in with foliage. The larvae are often predators of aphids, and adult females may lay their eggs in aphid colonies to provide the larvae with a food source. After an eight-day larval stage the juvenile fly enters diapause and then pupates the following spring. The pictured Epistrophe fly larva was spotted on the wall of a house near the village of Voulgareli, Epirus region, Greece.