Bog Hoverfly vs Long-tailed Sylph

Eristalis cryptarum compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Key Differences

• Bog Hoverfly is Extinct while Long-tailed Sylph is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bog Hoverfly	Long-tailed Sylph
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Syrphidae	Trochilidae
Genus	Eristalis	Aglaiocercus
Species	Eristalis cryptarum	Aglaiocercus kingii

Evolutionary Relationship

Bog Hoverfly and Long-tailed Sylph share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Bog Hoverfly

EX — Extinct

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bog Hoverfly	Long-tailed Sylph
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bog Hoverfly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Long-tailed Sylph

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Bog Hoverfly

The Bog Hoverfly (Eristalis cryptarum) is a species in the genus Eristalis. It is currently classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Long-tailed Sylph

One of the most strikingly ornamented hummingbirds, male long-tailed sylphs have iridescent green plumage and dramatically elongated, ribbon-like outer tail feathers reaching up to 22 cm — over three times the body length. Found in Andean cloud forests of Colombia and Venezuela, they inhabit humid montane forest between 1,400–2,800 meters elevation. Males perform elaborate display flights to attract females. Their extravagant tails are a classic example of sexual selection via female preference.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway