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Helophilus hybridus (Loew, 1846)
Wing length 8.5 to 11.25mm
Family: Syrphidae,
The Helophilus species of hoverflies, are harder to sex than most other species of hoverflies as both sexes have the same space between the eyes on the crown of the head. In most species of hoverflies, it is only the females that have the eyes spaced further apart on the crown of the head.
Males have a genital capsule which differs in shape at the end of abdomen, to the females rounded shaped at the end of the abdomen.
Flight period: April till early October.
A widespread species in the United Kingdom although not so common the further North you go. Occurs over most of Central (as far south as the Alps) and Northern Europe, through to the far East of Russia and Siberia; onto the Pacific Coast line. Also found in Mongolia and Nearctic, from Alaska to Nova Scotia and as far south into Utah.
Habitat: This is a wetland species, mainly found close to non-eutrophic pools and deciduous woodland which provide ideal environmental conditions for its breeding habitats. The adults visit a wide variety of flowers including such as white umbellifers, Calluna vulgaris, Echium, Cirsium, Salix, just to mention a few.
The larvae are aquatic “rat-tailed maggots found in decaying vegetation submerged at the edges of ponds and ditches.
Read MoreWing length 8.5 to 11.25mm
Family: Syrphidae,
The Helophilus species of hoverflies, are harder to sex than most other species of hoverflies as both sexes have the same space between the eyes on the crown of the head. In most species of hoverflies, it is only the females that have the eyes spaced further apart on the crown of the head.
Males have a genital capsule which differs in shape at the end of abdomen, to the females rounded shaped at the end of the abdomen.
Flight period: April till early October.
A widespread species in the United Kingdom although not so common the further North you go. Occurs over most of Central (as far south as the Alps) and Northern Europe, through to the far East of Russia and Siberia; onto the Pacific Coast line. Also found in Mongolia and Nearctic, from Alaska to Nova Scotia and as far south into Utah.
Habitat: This is a wetland species, mainly found close to non-eutrophic pools and deciduous woodland which provide ideal environmental conditions for its breeding habitats. The adults visit a wide variety of flowers including such as white umbellifers, Calluna vulgaris, Echium, Cirsium, Salix, just to mention a few.
The larvae are aquatic “rat-tailed maggots found in decaying vegetation submerged at the edges of ponds and ditches.
