Bug FAQCommon Loopwing Aphideater
Lapposyrphus lapponicus · Order: Diptera · Family: Syrphidae
The common loopwing aphideater, also called the Lapland syrphid fly, is a syrphid fly found across the Northern Hemisphere. Adults visit flowers for nectar and pollen, while the larvae feed on aphids.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It is known as the common loopwing aphideater in North America and the Lapland syrphid fly in Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Adults are commonly seen on flowers where they obtain energy-giving nectar and protein-rich pollen.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on nectar and pollen from flowers. Larvae prey on aphids.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species is widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is a common species observed across the Northern Hemisphere, including North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 32 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Alaska, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Montana, New Mexico.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where can I find adult common loopwing aphideaters?
Adults are often found on flowers where they gather nectar and pollen.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Syrphidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapposyrphus_lapponicus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.