From Denmark to the Pyrenees and north Spain; from England eastwards through Central Europe to central and southern parts of Russia, then Central Asia and as far east as western Siberia.
.[10][11]
The habitat is open coniferous and deciduous woodland, and grassland, pasture the altitude of Picea forest. Flowers visited include white Umbelliferae, Heracleum, Chaerophyllum, Bellis, Galium, Ranunculus Flies April to September. The larva feeds on the roots of Cynara scolymus.
^Van der Goot,V.S. (1981) De zweefvliegen van Noordwest - Europa en Europees Rusland, in het bijzonder van de Benelux. KNNV, Uitgave no.32: 275pp. Amsterdam.
^Stubbs, Alan E. & Falk, Steven J. (1983). British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide (2nd (revised) ed.). British Entomological & Natural History Society. p. 271, xvpp. ISBN0-9502891-3-2.
^Bei-Bienko, G.Y. & Steyskal, G.C. (1988a) Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSR, Volume V: Diptera and Siphonaptera, Part I. Amerind Publishing Co., New Delhi. ISBN81-205-0080-6.
^Van Veen, M. (2004) Hoverflies of Northwest Europe: identification keys to the Syrphidae. 256pp. KNNV Publishing, Utrecht.addendum
^Coe, R.L. (1953) Diptera: Syrphidae. Handbks.ident.Br.insects, 10(1): 1-98. R.ent.Soc.London. pdfArchived 2018-10-04 at the Wayback Machine