#3755 · 🪰 flies & mosquitoes

Sun Fly

🇳🇱 Pendelzweefvlieg ·Helophilus pendulus

🪰 Flies & mosquitoes 📍 in the Netherlands

8 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

what is it?

Helophilus pendulus is a European hoverfly. Its scientific name means "dangling marsh-lover" (from Greek helo- , "marsh", -phil , "love", Latin pend- , "hang"). It is a very common species in Britain, where it is the commonest Helophilus species; it occurs as far north as the Shetland Islands. It is also found in Ireland.

base stats

NL sightings 1,610iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 28,728iNaturalist observations

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

Spotted 1,610 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: the #4 most seen of the flies & mosquitoes in NL.
28,728 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named in 1758 (268 years ago).