[1] This species can be found throughout most of Western Europe, east to Asia and in Mongolia.

[2][3] These flies mainly inhabit dry open meadows, peat land, moors, forests, heaths and gardens.

The inflated, curved, all-black abdomen is covered with stiff, straight bristles, especially at the end of the abdominal segments.

[4][5][6][7] The adult flight period is from late June to early September.

Like most tachinid flies, the female lays eggs on other living insect larva, the fly larvae then develop inside the living host, devouring it and eventually killing it.