Midge Gall Fly vs Alpine Hover Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Midge Gall Fly Alpine Hover Fly
Scientific Name Asphondylia sarothamni Sericomyia silentis
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Cecidomyiidae Syrphidae
Size 2-4 mm 14-18 mm body length
Habitat Heathland Meadows
Diet Fungus Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Europe, Northern Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Midge Gall Fly

A gall midge that induces pod-like galls on broom shrubs. Its larvae develop inside swollen seed pods alongside symbiotic fungi.

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Did You Know?

It farms a symbiotic fungus inside the gall that provides food for its developing larva.

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.