Western Calligrapher

Toxomerus occidentalis

These flies can hover perfectly still in mid-air and even fly backward, adjusting their flight instantly to evade predators.

Scientific name: Toxomerus occidentalis
Taxonomy: Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Diptera › Syrphidae › Toxomerus
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern
Population trend: stable
Biome: grassland
Habitat: Meadows, gardens, agricultural fields, and forest edges
Diet: Adults feed on pollen and nectar; larvae are predatory, feeding primarily on aphids and thrips.
Range: North America, Western United States, Canada, Mexico
Size: 6 to 9 mm in length
Lifespan: 1 to 2 months as adults
Active: diurnal
Threats: Pesticide use, habitat loss, and decline of native wildflower populations.
Safe to approach?: Completely harmless. Though they mimic bees and wasps to deter predators, they have no stinger and cannot bite. You can safely observe them from inches away. If one lands on you, it is likely just drinking sweat for minerals; gently blow on it to encourage it to fly away.

Toxomerus occidentalis , is a species of flower fly found in western North America from British Columbia south to California, Colorado and Texas.

Photo: Ken-ichi Ueda, CC-BY, via iNaturalist