Aquatic Snail-killing Fly vs Alpine Hover Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Aquatic Snail-killing Fly Alpine Hover Fly
Scientific Name Sepedon sphegea Sericomyia silentis
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Sciomyzidae Syrphidae
Size 5-9 mm 14-18 mm body length
Habitat Wetlands Meadows
Diet Predators Nectar Feeders
Regions North America Europe, Northern Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Aquatic Snail-killing Fly

A slender marsh fly with a distinctly pointed abdomen and yellowish-brown coloring. Larvae are aquatic predators of freshwater snails, attacking them underwater.

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Did You Know?

A single larva may consume multiple snails during its development, making it an effective natural snail control agent.

Alpine Hover Fly

A large hover fly with bold yellow-and-black banding mimicking a wasp. It visits alpine flowers for nectar in mountain meadows.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae are rat-tailed maggots that breathe through a snorkel-like siphon in waterlogged soil.