Black-footed Globetail
CR

Black-footed Globetail

Sphaerophoria philantha

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphaerophoria_philanthus

Overview

Sphaerophoria philanthus is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae. It is found in Europe.

The Black-footed Globetail faces severe population declines due to widespread habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development across its range. Climate change is altering flowering patterns of key host plants, disrupting the species' reproductive cycle and reducing available nectar sources essential for adult survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

Open grasslands, wildflower meadows, agricultural field margins, and gardens with abundant flowering plants, particularly favoring areas with composite flowers and umbellifers. The species requires diverse floral resources throughout the growing season and suitable overwintering sites in leaf litter or vegetation.

Other threatened species in Syrphidae

CR

Merodon longispina

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Paragus tibialis

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ingesnoerde waterzweefvliegEN

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Anasimyia contracta

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small mallowVU

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Lentinus tigrinus

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EN

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Black-footed Globetail classified as Critically Endangered?
Black-footed Globetail is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Black-footed Globetail faces severe population declines due to widespread habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development across its range. Climate change is altering flowering patterns of key host plants, disrupting the species' reproductive cycle and reducing available nectar sources essential for adult survival.
Where does Black-footed Globetail live?
Black-footed Globetail occurs in Afghanistan, Åland Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, and Estonia (plus 19 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Black-footed Globetail?
The main threats to Black-footed Globetail are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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