Bug FAQYellow-shouldered Hover Fly
Ischiodon scutellaris · Order: Diptera · Family: Syrphidae
Adults are about one centimetre long and have a glossy black thorax with yellow edges, a yellow scutellum, black post-alar callus, and mostly orange-yellow legs with black coxae and trochanters. They are found from India through Turkey, Japan, Australia and most Pacific islands except Hawaii, and their larvae eat aphids, helping control these pests.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The thorax is glossy black with a yellow edge on each side, the scutellum is yellow while the post-alar callus is black, and the legs are mainly orange-yellow except for black coxae and trochanters.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about one centimetre in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs across India, from Turkey through Japan to Australia, and on most Pacific islands except Hawaii.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on aphids and are considered effective biological control agents.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Eggs are oval and white. Larvae are bright green-yellow with a white stripe running across their bodies.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the same regions mentioned for its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
Where can I find this hoverfly?
It is found from India through Turkey, Japan, Australia and most Pacific islands except Hawaii.
Source: Wikipedia
How big are adult yellow-shouldered hover flies?
Adults are about one centimetre long.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Syrphidae)
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Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ischiodon_scutellaris
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.