# Transverse-banded Flower Fly

*Eristalis transversa*

Their larvae, known as 'rat-tailed maggots,' use a telescopic breathing tube to respire while submerged in oxygen-poor mud.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Diptera › Syrphidae › Eristalis
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Meadows, flower gardens, and forest edges near shallow, stagnant water.
- **Diet:** Adults consume nectar and pollen; larvae feed on decaying organic matter in water.
- **Range:** North America, Europe
- **Size:** 10-14 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** 3-5 weeks as an adult
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide exposure, habitat fragmentation, and pollution of stagnant water sources.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. Though it mimics the appearance of a stinging wasp, it lacks a stinger and cannot bite. It is safe to observe from any distance. If it lands on you, simply let it fly off or gently nudge it.

## About

Eristalis transversa , the transverse flower fly , is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/d26c863b-83e0-45ee-80c4-dc3f5251caf3
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/145436
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eristalis transversa
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/18842122/medium.jpg (Judy Gallagher, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

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