About Cheilosia illustrata (Harris, 1780)
Cheilosia illustrata (Harris, 1780) is a species of hoverfly. Adults of this species grow to a length of 9–11 millimetres, or 0.35–0.43 inches. Individuals of this species have a black face, a black scutellum, a band of black hair on the thorax, and an additional band of black hair on the third tergite. They have a dark area in the center of their wings, long white hairs at the base of the forelegs, and long white hairs below the scutellum. Their antennae are dark, and the end of the abdomen is covered in reddish orange hair. This common species is found across most of Europe and the eastern Palearctic realm, ranging east as far as Siberia. It can be encountered in forest roads, forest clearings, hedgerows, and roadsides.
