| Helophilus trivittatus (Fabricius, 1805) |
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Scientific name: Helophilus trivittatus (Fabricius, 1805) Common name: French name: Hélophile à bandes grises Order: Diptera Family: Syrphidae Wingspan : 11-17 mm. Males are smaller than females. Biotope: Damp places with flowers like surroundings of ponds or banks of ditches. As Helophilus trivittatus can fly long distances, you can observe it on flowers rather far from damp areas. Geographic area: Europe, temperate Asia, North America. Observation period : May to October with a peak in August. |
Helophilus trivittatus shows, like other hoverflies of the same genus, a yellow or greyish yellow thorax with three broad black longitudinal stripes. The abdomen is flattened. It shows pale yellow patches on the second and third tergites. The tergite 4 shows a W-shaped grey marking. The tergite 5 also shows a transversal grey marking. There is a yellow facial stripe at the front of the head. Females have very separated eyes which are diverging since the top of the forehead. Unlike on many other hoverfly species, males' eyes are not touching. They are closer to each other than on females. There edges are first parallel and then diverging. The tarsi 2 are yellow. Helophilus pendulus and Helophilus hybridus show a black facial stripe and black tarsi 2. The yellow colour of their abdomen is darker. The larvae grow in muddy water and breath with a long extensible tube (they are called rat-tailed maggot). |
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You can see the W-shaped grey marking on the fourth tergite on this upper side view. |
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The yellow tarsi 2 and the pale yellow colour of the abdomen indicate Helophilus trivittatus. |
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The Helophilus trivittatus species is confirmed with this view which shows the yellow facial stripe. The eyes, with parallel edges on the forehead then diverging, indicate one male. |
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This Helophilus trivittatus seems to really appreciate pollen. |
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Front view. |
André Bon May 2021