Identification
face white or pale yellowish, the lower portion protruding to varying degrees, depending on species - with one species having a distinct "beak"; top of thorax either all dark or dark with pale longitudinal stripes (as in Helophilus); abdomen either mostly dark or dark with pale partial arc-shaped bands - varies according to species and sex
males can be identified to species by the presence or absence (and size and shape) of spurs at the tip of the tibia and base of the femur of the hindleg; females are more difficult to identify, and some species are indistinguishable based on photos alone
eyes separated on both sexes. The main sexual dimorphism is in the color and shape of the abdomen. The females are more blue gray and have an oval shaped abdomen, while the males have a more slender abdomen and are more orange. Therefore the orange L. lineatus are males not females. (Comment by Martin Hauser)
Range
by far more diverse in the Americas (incl. the arctic); also in Australia + 1 sp. in Eurasia
Habitat
larvae are aquatic, developing in a variety of wetland habitats
Season
adults fly from April to October in Ontario; season is extended farther south, and shortened farther north; individual species usually have shorter flight seasons than the genus as a whole
