Bug FAQWestern Aphideater
Eupeodes fumipennis · Order: Diptera · Family: Syrphidae
The western aphideater is a hoverfly whose adults hover over plants. Its larvae feed on aphids, which are plant-sucking insects. It belongs to the hoverfly family Syrphidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Adults are commonly seen hovering around plants.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae prey on aphids and similar plant-sucking insects.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It looks like other hoverflies that also hover over plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Arizona, Utah, Montana, Nevada.
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
Are they a garden pest?
Their larvae actually help by eating aphids, which are pests to plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Syrphidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eupeodes_fumipennis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.