Sedgesitter
Guides
Platycheirus
Sedgesitters
Platycheirus is a large genus of hoverflies (family Syrphidae) commonly known as sedgesitters. The genus was established in 1828 and is primarily Holarctic in distribution, with approximately 110 species in the Palearctic and 70 in the Nearctic region. Species are slender, small to medium-sized flies, often with distinctive leg modifications in males used for species identification.
Platycheirus hyperboreus
Pearly Sedgesitter
Platycheirus hyperboreus, commonly known as the Pearly Sedgesitter, is a small hoverfly (Syrphidae) distributed across boreal and arctic regions of North America and northern Europe. Adults are 5.3–8.7 mm in length and exhibit distinctive abdominal patterning with pale spots on dark segments. The species is recognized by its modified front legs, which are yellow with gradually dilated tibiae—an adaptation associated with its common name. It occurs in northern latitudes ranging from Alaska and Greenland through Scandinavia to northern Siberia.
Pyrophaena granditarsis
Hornhand Sedgesitter
Pyrophaena granditarsis is a small hoverfly in the family Syrphidae, commonly known as the Hornhand Sedgesitter. The species is recognized by its distinctive enlarged hind tarsi in males. It is associated with wetland habitats, particularly sedge-dominated areas. The species has been documented across northern temperate regions with 463 iNaturalist observations.