Bug FAQInterrupted Hornet Fly
Spilomyia interrupta · Order: Diptera · Family: Syrphidae
Interrupted Hornet Fly can hover almost motionlessly while flying. Adults are commonly seen on flowers where they sip nectar and collect pollen. The species lives in western North America, including Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
They can hover almost motionlessly in flight.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Adults are found on flowers, feeding on nectar and pollen. Larvae live in moist places 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
The name “hoverfly” comes from their ability to stay nearly motionless while flying.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs in western North America. Its range includes Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 3 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Washington.
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 Interrupted Hornet Flies usually found?
You’ll see the adults on flowers feeding on nectar and pollen, while the larvae develop in moist rot holes of trees.
Source: Wikipedia
What part of North America do they live in?
They are native to western North America, including Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Syrphidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spilomyia_interrupta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.