Stats

Lifespan

A few weeks

Size

Small

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Temperate grassland

Range

The Americas

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Warning Colors

Status

Uncommon

About

The Maize Calligrapher (Toxomerus politus) is a small hoverfly often found visiting flowers in fields and gardens. Although it looks a bit like a bee, it can’t sting and helps pollinate many flowering plants.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Syrphidae

Genus

Toxomerus

Species

Toxomerus politus