Alice Springs Fauna •

Alice Springs DipteraGreen Blowfly Australiphthiria sp (Bee Fly) Golden Native Drone Fly (Eristalinus punctulatus) Mydas Fly, Miltinus sp Neosardus sp Robber Fly, Bathypogon sp Rutilia sp Soldier Flies (Odontomyia) Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Odontomyia decipiens Opaluma (Australian Soldier Fly) Stiletto Fly (Agapophytus yeatesi) Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly, Ischiodon scutellaris

The Common Hover Fly, also known as the Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly (Ischiodon scutellaris), pictured here in Alice Springs in Central Australia.

Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly (Ischiodon scutellaris), Alice Springs NT
Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly (Ischiodon scutellaris), Alice Springs NT
Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly (Ischiodon scutellaris), Alice Springs NT
Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly (Ischiodon scutellaris), Alice Springs NT
Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly (Ischiodon scutellaris), Alice Springs NT
Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly (Ischiodon scutellaris), Alice Springs NT

Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly are known as syrphid flies or flower flies, and belong to the family Syrphidae. The larvae of Ischiodon scutellaris feed on aphids and are known as an effective biological control agent for controlling aphids that feed on crops. The adult Ischiodon scutellaris feed on nectar from flowers and weeds.

More information under Diptera > Syrphidae.


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Diptera
  • Suborder: Brachycera
  • Infraorder: Cyclorrhapha
  • Informal: Aschiza
  • Superfamily: Syrphoidea
  • Family: Syrphidae
  • Subfamily: Syrphinae
  • Tribe: Syrphini
  • Genus: Ischiodon
  • Species: Ischiodon scutellaris

Footnote & References

  1. Many thanks for the ID from Dominic Lyons, member of Amateur Entomology Australia, Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/476897096018877
  2. Ischiodon scutellaris (Fabricius, 1805), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Ischiodon scutellaris
  3. Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly Ischiodon scutellaris, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/354671-Ischiodon-scutellaris
  4. Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly Ischiodon scutellaris, ausemade, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/189462186

Alice Springs DipteraGreen Blowfly Australiphthiria sp (Bee Fly) Golden Native Drone Fly (Eristalinus punctulatus) Mydas Fly, Miltinus sp Neosardus sp Robber Fly, Bathypogon sp Rutilia sp Soldier Flies (Odontomyia) Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Odontomyia decipiens Opaluma (Australian Soldier Fly) Stiletto Fly (Agapophytus yeatesi) Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly, Ischiodon scutellaris

Alice Springs InsectsAntlion (Heoclisis fundata) Ants (Formicidae) Bees Beetles Index Blattodea Butterflies & Moths (Lepidopterans) Cicadas Coleoptera Diptera Dragonflies Mantodea – Mantises Orthoptera – Orthopteroids True Bugs (Heteroptera) Wasps

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