''Sericomyia chrysotoxoides '', (Macquart 1842), the Oblique-banded Pond Fly , is a common species of

syrphid fly Hover flies, also called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while ...

observed across the eastern half of North America and in the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

. Syrphid flies are also known as Hover Flies or Flower Flies because the adults are frequently found hovering around flowers from which they feed on

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

and

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

. Adults are long, black with yellow bands, less prominant in the male. The larvae of this genus are known as

rat tailed maggot Rat-tailed maggots are the larvae of certain species of hoverflies belonging to the tribes Eristalini and Sericomyiini. A characteristic feature of rat-tailed maggots is a tube-like, telescoping breathing siphon located at its posterior end. Thi ...

s for the long posterior breathing tube. Sericomyia chrysotoxoides female

References

Bugguide.net. Species ''Sericomyia chrysotoxoides''
Diptera of North America Eristalinae Insects described in 1842 Taxa named by Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart Hoverflies of North America {{Syrphidae-stub