Bug FAQMany-tufted Sedgesitter
Platycheirus scutatus · Order: Diptera · Family: Syrphidae
The many-tufted sedgesitter has distinctive silver-grey dust spots on its face and an elongate fourth tergite. It is a Holarctic hoverfly, found from Alaska down to Colorado in North America and across Europe and Asia to Japan.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The face shows two large silver-grey dust spots. Tergite 4 is noticeably elongate.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They can remain active even in cold weather.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on aphids that live on low-growing plants and trees. Adults visit a wide variety of flowers for nectar.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults may stay active during cold weather as well.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Multiple broods appear throughout the warmer months, extending their flight period. They can also be seen active in colder periods.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In North America it occurs from Alaska south to Colorado. Across the Old World it ranges from Fennoscandia through Europe, Siberia to the Pacific coast and Japan.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
For similar species and distinguishing features, see the referenced determination guides.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on aphids found on low-growing plants and trees.
Source: Wikipedia
When are these hoverflies active?
They are active throughout the warm months and can even remain active in cold weather.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find many-tufted sedgesitters?
In North America they occur from Alaska down to Colorado, and across Europe and Asia to Japan.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell this species apart from similar ones?
Check identification guides that detail the distinctive face spots and elongate tergite 4.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Syrphidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platycheirus_scutatus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.