# Oblique-banded Pond Fly

*Sericomyia chrysotoxoides*

Its larvae are 'rat-tailed maggots' which use a long, telescopic breathing tube like a snorkel to breathe air while buried deep in oxygen-poor mud.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Diptera › Syrphidae › Sericomyia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** wetland
- **Habitat:** Acidic bogs, fens, wet meadows, and damp deciduous or mixed forests near standing water.
- **Diet:** Adults feed on nectar and pollen from flowering plants like elderberry and wild rose; larvae feed on decaying organic matter in wet mud.
- **Range:** North America, Canada, Northern United States
- **Size:** 11-15 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** Approximately 1 year (mostly spent in the larval stage; adults live 3 to 5 weeks)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Wetland drainage, development of boggy areas, and widespread use of chemical pesticides.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. Despite its wasp-like appearance, this hoverfly cannot sting or bite. It is completely safe to observe from any distance. If it lands on you, simply enjoy the encounter or gently brush it away.

## About

Sericomyia chrysotoxoides is a North American species of flower fly.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/1fcf58ee-b05a-4431-b45e-bbe30d56e9dd
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/194031
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sericomyia chrysotoxoides
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/13453363/medium.jpg (christine123, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.