Bug FAQBroad-banded Hornet Fly
Spilomyia alcimus · Order: Diptera · Family: Syrphidae
Its larvae live in moist rot holes of trees, and the species is native to Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are frequently seen on flowers where they sip nectar and collect pollen.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The larvae develop in moist environments such as rot holes in trees.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults obtain energy from flower nectar and protein from pollen.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Hoverflies can remain nearly motionless while in flight.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Maine.
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
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where are Broad-banded Hornet Flies found?
They are native to Canada and the United States and the adults are commonly seen on flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Can I recognize this fly by its behavior?
Adults can hover almost motionlessly while flying.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Syrphidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spilomyia_alcimus
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 2026-10-24.