It is of a similar size to the common drone fly (Eristalis tenax), but Myathropa are generally more yellow, with two light bands to the thorax, interrupted with a black central smudge.

[6][7][8][9] Myathropa florea is found in the Palearctic from Fennoscandia south to Iberia and the Mediterranean basin, and from Ireland eastwards across Europe and Russia.

[10][11][12] They occur in deciduous forests, fen carr, farmland with trees, parks, and gardens.

They visit many different species of flowers, including umbellifers, Castanea, Convolvulus, Crataegus, Chaerophyllum, Euonymus, Filipendula, Hedera, Rhododendron, Rubus, Sambucus, Solidago, Sorbus, and Viburnum opulus.

Larvae feed on bacteria in organic waterlogged detritus, often in the shallow rot holes of tree stumps.