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Sphaerophoria scripta
Small hoverfly (Syrphidae) 6-9 mm long. Bluff coloured thorax with darker longitudinal stripes. Yellow abdomen with black bands. Females have separated eyes while males have them together and thin abdomen. Males have separated eyes and the abdomen wit a rounded finish. Adults feed of flowers nectar, specially Umbelliferae and Compositae. Larvae feed on aphids. They can complete a full life cycle in as little as sixteen days (egg to egg-laying adult), and a maximum of nine generations may occur in a single year.
Alpine meadow at 1800 m. Parque nacional de Sierra de Guadarrama
Camera Model: NIKON D300. Exposure Time: 1/1250 sec.; f/18; ISO Speed Rating: 800. Exposure Bias: 0 EV. Focal Length: 300.0 mm.
Spotted on Jul 23, 2014
Submitted on Oct 15, 2014
2 Comments
Thanks Leuba. These flies are really impressive!!!
That is a looooong syrphid arlanda. He's decided to change colour too half way down. I am amazed at their lifecycle. It's no wonder they're always around. Very nice spotting !