Epauletted Hover Fly

Ischiodon aegyptius · Order: Diptera · Family: Syrphidae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Epauletted Hover Fly
Photo: Sandy Rae, CC BY

The epauletted hoverfly looks like a tiny wasp. It lives in the Afrotropical region. Adults visit flowers for pollination while the green larvae eat aphids.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

The fly resembles a small wasp.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Adults pollinate many flowers. Larvae are green, featureless, and feed on aphids.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

The species is a very powerful flier.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

It is known from the Afrotropical realm.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

It can be confused with a small wasp.

Source: Wikipedia

Questions people ask

What does the epauletted hoverfly look like?

It looks like a tiny wasp.

Source: Wikipedia

Where is this hoverfly found?

It occurs in the Afrotropical region.

Source: Wikipedia

What do the adults and larvae eat?

Adults feed on flower nectar and pollen, while larvae eat aphids.

Source: Wikipedia

Is it a strong flyer?

Yes, it is a very powerful flier.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Syrphidae)

Common Drone FlyCommon Drone FlyEristalis tenaxHarmlessMarmalade Hover FlyMarmalade Hover FlyEpisyrphus balteatusMargined CalligrapherMargined CalligrapherToxomerus marginatusEastern CalligrapherEastern CalligrapherToxomerus geminatusYellow-haired Sun FlyYellow-haired Sun FlyMyathropa floreaThick-legged Hover FlyThick-legged Hover FlySyritta pipiens

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ischiodon_aegyptius

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 2026-10-23.

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