# Sphaerophoria scripta

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Species of fly

Sphaerophoria scripta Male Female Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Clade: Pancrustacea Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Family: Syrphidae Genus: Sphaerophoria Species: S. scripta Binomial name Sphaerophoria scripta (Linnaeus, 1758) Synonyms List Melithreptus dispar Loew, 840 Musca invisito Harris, 1780[1] Musca molita Harris, 1780[1] Musca scripta Linnaeus, 1758 Sphaerophoria dispar (Loew, 1840) Sphaerophoria invisito (Harris, 1780)[1] Sphaerophoria molita (Harris, 1780)[1] Sphaerophoria strigata Stæger, 1845

***Sphaerophoria scripta***, the **long hoverfly**, is a [species](/source/Species) of [hoverfly](/source/Hoverfly) belonging to the family [Syrphidae](/source/Hoverfly).[2]

## Distribution

This species has a worldwide distribution. It can be found in most of [Europe](/source/Europe), in the eastern [Palearctic realm](/source/Palearctic_realm), in the [Near East](/source/Near_East), in the [Nearctic realm](/source/Nearctic_realm), in [North Africa](/source/North_Africa) and in the [Indomalayan realm](/source/Indomalayan_realm).[3]

## Habitat

This species lives in thickets, gardens and meadows rich of flowering plants. Adults can pollinate flowering plants such as *[Galeopsis angustifolia](/source/Galeopsis_angustifolia)* and *[Silene gallica](/source/Silene_gallica)*, which *S. scripta* are the most effective pollinators of.[4]

## Description

Mating pair

*Sphaerophoria scripta* can reach a length of 7–12 millimetres (0.28–0.47 in) and a [wingspan](/source/Wingspan) of 5–7 mm.[5] 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.[5] The larvae feed on aphids, while adult hoverflies feed on nectar and pollen of various species of *[Asteraceae](/source/Asteraceae)*, as well as on *[Heracleum sphondylium](/source/Heracleum_sphondylium)*, *[Galeopsis tetrahit](/source/Galeopsis_tetrahit)*, *[Malva moschata](/source/Malva_moschata)* and *[Parnassia palustris](/source/Parnassia_palustris)*.[5]

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.[6][7] This species is migratory and overwinter as larva.

## Gallery

		- Male in flight

		- Detail of wings

		- *Sphaerophoria scripta* in copula

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Harris1780_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Harris1780_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Harris1780_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Harris1780_1-3) Harris, M. (1780). [*An exposition of English insects*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/226006#page/5/mode/1up). Vol. Decads III, IV. London: Robson Co. pp. 73–99, 100–138, pls. 21-30, 31–40. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Stubbs, Alan E. & Falk, Steven J. (1983). *British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide*. British Entomological & Natural History Society. pp. 253, xvpp.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Fauna europaea](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072857/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=66006)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Gibson, R. H.; Nelson, I. L.; Hopkins, G. W.; Hamlett, B. J.; Memmott, J. (8 March 2006). ["Pollinator webs, plant communities and the conservation of rare plants: arable weeds as a case study: Pollinator webs and rare plant conservation"](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2664.2006.01130.x). *Journal of Applied Ecology*. **43** (2): 246–257. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1365-2664.2006.01130.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2664.2006.01130.x).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AA_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AA_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-AA_5-2) [Commanster](http://www.commanster.eu/commanster/Insects/Flies/SpFlies/Sphaerophoria.scripta.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Hoverflies"](http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk/hoverflies.html). Retrieved 2009-12-12.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** S. Nengel, W. Drescher [STUDIES ON THE BIOLOGY OF SPHAEROPHORIA SCRIPTA L. (DIPTERA., SYRPHIDAE)](http://www.actahort.org/books/288/288_10.htm) DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1991.288.10

Taxon identifiers Sphaerophoria scripta Wikidata: Q1520915 Wikispecies: Sphaerophoria scripta ADW: Sphaerophoria_scripta BioLib: 123576 EoL: 750732 EPPO: SPHPSC EUNIS: 76063 Fauna Europaea: 66006 Fauna Europaea (new): 756900d8-ac25-4f8a-8408-830ace94664f GBIF: 1539177 iNaturalist: 52964 ITIS: 140267 NatureServe: 2.1137731 NBN: NBNSYS0000006959 NCBI: 226180 Observation.org: 8049 Open Tree of Life: 14321

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