Black-tailed aphideater
This hoverfly mimics a small wasp closely enough to deter many predators, yet it carries no sting at all and lives only on nectar and pollen.
| Where | Open ground, farmland and gardens |
|---|---|
| Size | 6.5 to 10 mm wing length |
| When | March to October |
The Black-tailed aphideater is a yellow and black hoverfly whose broad, crescent shaped yellow markings on the third and fourth abdominal segments stop short of the wing edges, unlike several similar species.
Adults visit flowers in open ground, farmland, orchards and gardens for much of the year, while their larvae hunt and eat aphids on the same plants.
Traits
Habitat
Farmland
Colour
Yellow, Black
Active
Day
To people
Cannot sting or bite; its wasp-like pattern is thought to deter predators, not people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Slightly smaller on average at 5 to 8.25 mm wing length, with yellow abdominal markings that reach the lateral edge of the segments, unlike the Black-tailed aphideater's.
Questions
Is the Black-tailed aphideater dangerous to people?
Cannot sting or bite; its wasp-like pattern is thought to deter predators, not people.
When can you see the Black-tailed aphideater?
The Black-tailed aphideater can be seen from March to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Rego et al. (2022), CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.