Common Drone Fly vs Common Fieldcap

Eristalis tenax compared with Agrocybe pediades

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Drone Fly	Common Fieldcap
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Fungi (เห็ดรา)
Phylum	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Insecta (แมลง)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Diptera (แมลงวัน)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Syrphidae	Strophariaceae
Genus	Eristalis	Agrocybe
Species	Eristalis tenax	Agrocybe pediades

Conservation Status

Common Drone Fly

LC — Least Concern

Common Fieldcap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Drone Fly	Common Fieldcap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Drone Fly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Chile).

Common Fieldcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Common Drone Fly

<em>Eristalis tenax</em>, the common drone fly, is a hoverfly in the family Syrphidae with a broad global distribution spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and South America, including records from South Africa, five European countries, the United States, and Chile. This species typically inhabits a wide variety of terrestrial and freshwater habitats, from urban gardens and agricultural landscapes to woodland edges and wetlands. The common drone fly is one of the most effective mimics of the honey bee, a resemblance that offers protection from predators. Adults are frequently observed visiting flowers to feed on nectar and pollen, making them important pollinators in many ecosystems. Larvae, known as rat-tailed maggots, are aquatic and typically develop in stagnant, organically enriched water bodies such as sewage drains, manure pools, and polluted ponds, where they breathe through an elongated, tube-like siphon. <em>Eristalis tenax</em> is assessed as Least Concern, with stable and widespread populations. It is regarded as both an ecological indicator species and a valuable contributor to pollination services.

Common Fieldcap

The Common Fieldcap (<em>Agrocybe pediades</em>) is a saprotrophic fungus belonging to the genus Agrocybe within the family Strophariaceae. It typically produces small, tan to pale brown cap-shaped fruiting bodies and is often found growing in clusters or scattered on lawns, grassy areas, forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil-rich ecosystems. The species typically inhabits forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems, obtaining nutrients by breaking down dead organic matter. Its geographic range includes several European countries — Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden — as well as the United States in North America. <em>Agrocybe pediades</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its broad distribution and apparent stability. Biological traits of this species, including specific data on fruiting body size, lifespan, and ecological preferences, remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Like other members of its genus, it typically fruits during warmer months and often appears after rainfall in nutrient-rich grassland and woodland habitats.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States