Sphaerophoria scripta

{{Short description|Species of fly}} {{Speciesbox | image = (MHNT) Sphaerophoria scripta on Achillea millefolium.jpg | image_caption = Male | image2 = (MHNT) Sphaerophoria scripta - Female dorsal view.jpg | image2_caption = Female | taxon = Sphaerophoria scripta | authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]) | synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets = true |''Melithreptus dispar'' [[Hermann Loew|Loew]], 840 |''Musca invisito'' [[Moses Harris|Harris]], 1780<ref name="Harris1780">{{cite book |last1=Harris |first1=M. |title=An exposition of English insects |volume= Decads III, IV|date=1780 |publisher=Robson Co. |location=London |pages= 73-99, 100-138, pls. 21-30, 31-40 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/226006#page/5/mode/1up |access-date=16 July 2021}}</ref> |''Musca molita'' [[Moses Harris|Harris]], 1780<ref name="Harris1780"/> |''Musca scripta'' [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]] |''Sphaerophoria dispar'' ([[Hermann Loew|Loew]], 1840) |''Sphaerophoria invisito'' ([[Moses Harris|Harris]], 1780)<ref name="Harris1780"/> |''Sphaerophoria molita'' ([[Moses Harris|Harris]], 1780)<ref name="Harris1780"/> |''Sphaerophoria strigata'' [[Rasmus Carl Stæger|Stæger]], 1845 }}}}

'''''Sphaerophoria scripta''''', the '''long hoverfly''', is a [[species]] of [[hoverfly]] belonging to the family [[Hoverfly|Syrphidae]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Stubbs, Alan E. |author2=Falk, Steven J. |name-list-style=amp |year=1983 |title=British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide|pages=253, xvpp |publisher=British Entomological & Natural History Society}}</ref>

==Distribution== This species has a worldwide distribution. It can be found in most of [[Europe]], in the eastern [[Palearctic realm]], in the [[Near East]], in the [[Nearctic realm]], in [[North Africa]] and in the [[Indomalayan realm]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072857/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=66006 Fauna europaea]</ref>

==Habitat== This species lives in thickets, gardens and meadows rich of flowering plants. Adults can pollinate flowering plants such as ''[[Galeopsis angustifolia]]'' and ''[[Silene gallica]]'', which ''S. scripta'' are the most effective pollinators of.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gibson |first1=R. H. |last2=Nelson |first2=I. L. |last3=Hopkins |first3=G. W. |last4=Hamlett |first4=B. J. |last5=Memmott |first5=J. |title=Pollinator webs, plant communities and the conservation of rare plants: arable weeds as a case study: Pollinator webs and rare plant conservation |journal=Journal of Applied Ecology |date=8 March 2006 |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=246–257 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2664.2006.01130.x|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Description== [[File: Syrphidae - Sphaerophoria scripta (mating).JPG|thumb|220px|left|Mating pair]] ''Sphaerophoria scripta'' can reach a length of {{convert|7|-|12|mm}} and a [[wingspan]] of 5–7 mm.<ref name=AA/> Body is long and narrow, with yellow and black bands. The wings are transparent. Antennae are short and yellow. The face is yellow. Thorax is a bit dull, copper colored with broad yellow side stripes. Scutellum is yellow. Abdomen is long and cylindrical with four wide, yellow transverse bands. The legs are yellow. Females are brighter than the males. In the males the last two bands are often blurred.

==Biology== The adult hoverflies can be found from April to November.<ref name=AA/> The larvae feed on aphids, while adult hoverflies feed on nectar and pollen of various species of ''[[Asteraceae]]'', as well as on ''[[Heracleum sphondylium]]'', ''[[Galeopsis tetrahit]]'', ''[[Malva moschata]]'' and ''[[Parnassia palustris]]''.<ref name=AA>[http://www.commanster.eu/commanster/Insects/Flies/SpFlies/Sphaerophoria.scripta.html Commanster]</ref>

These hoverflies 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk/hoverflies.html|title=Hoverflies|accessdate=2009-12-12}}</ref><ref>S. Nengel, W. Drescher [http://www.actahort.org/books/288/288_10.htm STUDIES ON THE BIOLOGY OF SPHAEROPHORIA SCRIPTA L. (DIPTERA., SYRPHIDAE)] DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1991.288.10</ref> This species is migratory and overwinter as larva.

==Gallery== <gallery widths="240" heights="150"> File:Sphaerophoria scripta - Eisenstadt.jpg|Male in flight File:Sphaerophoria.scripta.wing.detail.jpg|Detail of wings File:Sphaerophoria scripta - 2014-08-03.webm|thumbtime=2:15|''Sphaerophoria scripta'' in copula </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Brachycera of Europe]] [[Category:Syrphini]] [[Category:Insects described in 1758]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]] [[Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]