Common Lagoon Fly

The Common Lagoon Fly (<em>Eristalinus aeneus</em>) is a hoverfly in the family Syrphidae, classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, indicating serious population decline and elevated extinction risk. Its range spans Asia (Taiwan), five European countries, and the United States in North America. The species typically inhabits virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats within its range, with adults commonly observed visiting flowers where they feed on pollen and nectar. Like other hoverflies, the larvae of this species are aquatic or semi-aquatic, typically developing in organically enriched water bodies including lagoons, brackish pools, and coastal wetlands. Habitat degradation, pollution of coastal and estuarine environments, and land-use change are among the likely drivers of its Endangered status. As a pollinator and prey item in freshwater food webs, this species plays an ecological role in the habitats it occupies. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.