Common Globetail (Sphaerophoria scripta) lives in open areas across Europe and Asia. It feeds on aphids and pollen.
Fascinating facts about the Common Globetail
- The long hoverfly occupies a truly global range, occurring across most of Europe and extending into the eastern Palearctic and Near East. Its presence is also recorded in the Nearctic region, across North Africa and throughout the Indomalayan realm, giving it a remarkably broad distribution. This worldwide spread means the species can be encountered in a wide variety of climates and habitats.
- When visiting flowers, the long hoverfly is especially efficient at moving pollen of Galeopsis angustifolia and Silene gallica, making it the most effective pollinator of these two plants. Adults regularly feed on the nectar and pollen of these species, contributing directly to their reproductive success. Their activity in gardens and meadows therefore supports the propagation of these flowering herbs.
- From the moment an egg is laid until the adult emerges ready to reproduce, the long hoverfly can complete its life cycle in just sixteen days under favourable conditions. This rapid development allows the species to produce up to nine generations within a single year.
- Male long hoverflies often have the final two yellow abdominal bands appear blurred, making their pattern less distinct than the earlier bands. In contrast, females exhibit a brighter overall colouration, with more vivid yellow on the face, thorax and legs.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeEurope and Asia
HabitatOpen areas
DietAphids and pollen
About the Common Globetail
In the warm, sun-drenched meadows, the Common Globetail dance and weave, their iridescent bodies glimmering like tiny jewels as they flit from flower to flower. With a mesmerizing flutter of their delicate wings, they move through the air with an effortless elegance, their agility and speed a testament to their remarkable adaptability. As they alight upon a bloom, their long, extended bodies seem to glow with an inner light, a fleeting glimpse of beauty in the fleeting world of these tiny, winged wonders.
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