Syrphid larvae hatch from oblong, whitish to gray eggs laid singly on their sides near aphids. The predaceous larvae molt through three instars before forming a greenish to dark brownish oblong to pear-shaped pupa, usually on the plant, from which the adult emerges. Adults resemble bees.

Larvae adapted from Peterson, A. 1960. Larvae of Insects. Part 2. Ann Arbor, MI: Edwards Brothers. Adult adapted from Cole, F. R. 1969. The flies of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press.