About Xylota segnis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Xylota segnis (Linnaeus, 1758) is a species of hoverfly in the Diptera order. Adults reach a body length of 10–14 millimetres (0.39–0.55 in), with a wing length of 7–9.5 millimetres (0.28–0.37 in). The thorax is greenish black and covered in long yellowish hairs. The abdomen is black with a large red or yellowish red patch; specifically, tergites 2 and 3 are yellow or reddish, except for the posterior section of tergite 3, which is black. Two rows of long, thick spines are found on the hind femora. The fore and hind legs are predominantly yellow, with black or dark brown femora. This species has reddish compound eyes and dark antennae. Its wings are slightly brownish with a brown pterostigma, and its halteres are light yellow. Males have a long upcurved pointed process on the hind trochanters. Hippa (1968) published illustrated figures of the male genitalia of this species, and Rotheray (1994) published a coloured illustration of its larva. See references for species determination, and external morphological terms are defined in resources on the Morphology of Diptera. This species has a distribution across both the Palearctic and Nearctic realms. In the Palearctic, it is found across all of Europe including the Mediterranean region and the Caucasus, and extends east through Russia to the Russian Far East and Japan. In the Nearctic realm, it occurs in the eastern part, specifically in southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States. A mapped distribution is available on the GBIF species page for Xylota segnis. This species primarily inhabits low bushes within wooded areas.
