Sun Fly

Helophilus pendulus · Order: Diptera · Family: Syrphidae

Also called: Dangling Swamp-lover, The Footballer, Tiger Hoverfly

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.

Sun Fly hoverflies have black-and-yellow stripes on the thorax and a patterned abdomen of yellow, black and grey, earning them the nickname “footballer”. They live near many water bodies, from large lakes and rivers to tiny ponds, ditches and muddy puddles, and are widespread across Europe from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia and east through Russia to the Pacific. Adults feed on flower nectar and rest on leaves, while the larvae consume detritus.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Adults visit flowers and often rest on leaves; the larvae feed on detritus.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

The only other Helophilus species with a yellow border is Helophilus hybridus, but its males differ by having a black band at the base of tergite 2 that does not extend to the sides.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Sun Fly photo 2 — Photo: Zachary Dankowicz, CC BY

Sun Fly photo 3 — Photo: Paul Cook, CC BY

Sun Fly photo 4 — Photo: Michelle Stamp, CC BY

Sun Fly photo 5 — Photo: Clive Freedman, CC BY

Questions people ask

What does the Sun Fly look like?

It has black-and-yellow stripes on the thorax and a abdomen patterned with yellow, black and grey, and its wings are about 8.5 to 11.3 mm long.

Source: Wikipedia

Where does the Sun Fly live?

It lives near many kinds of water, from large lakes and rivers to small ponds, ditches and muddy puddles, and its range covers most of Europe from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia and east to the Pacific.

Source: Wikipedia

What does the Sun Fly eat?

Adults visit flowers for nectar and often rest on leaves, while the larvae feed on decaying organic material.

Source: Wikipedia

How can I tell it apart from similar hoverflies?

The only similar species with a yellow border is Helophilus hybridus; its males have a black band at the base of tergite 2 that does not reach the sides, unlike Sun Fly males.

Source: Wikipedia