About Sphaerophoria scripta (Linnaeus, 1758)
Sphaerophoria scripta is a species that grows between 7 and 12 millimetres (0.28 to 0.47 inches) in length, with a wingspan of 5 to 7 millimetres. It has a long, narrow body marked with yellow and black bands, transparent wings, short yellow antennae, and a yellow face. Its thorax is slightly dull copper-colored, with broad yellow stripes along its sides, and the scutellum is yellow. The abdomen is long and cylindrical, bearing four wide, transverse yellow bands, and all legs are yellow. Females of this species have brighter coloration than males; in males, the final two yellow abdominal bands are often blurred. This species has a worldwide distribution, and can be found across most of Europe, the eastern Palearctic realm, the Near East, the Nearctic realm, North Africa, and the Indomalayan realm. It inhabits thickets, gardens, and meadows that contain abundant flowering plants. Adult Sphaerophoria scripta act as pollinators for flowering plants, and they are the most effective pollinators of Galeopsis angustifolia and Silene gallica.
