The genus probably originated in the Afrotropical region. 13 of the 18 recognized species groups are found south of the Sahara. 15 species inhabit the Oriental and Australian-Pacific regions, and only six species are described from the Palearctic region. The two species that occur in North America as far south as Mexico, S. flaviventris and S. pipiens, were probably introduced by humans.
One of the most common species of this genus is Syritta pipiens, a hoverfly from Europe, currently distributed across Eurasia and North America.
^Zetterstedt, J. W. (1837). "Conspectus familiarum, generum et specierum dipterorum, in fauna insectorum Lapponica descriptorum". Isis (Oken's). 21: 28–67.
^Marnef, L. (1967). "Austrosyritta cortesi nov. gen., nov. sp. de sirfido de Chile (Diptera Syrphidae)". Bulletin et Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 103: 268–276.
^Lyneborg, Leif; Barkemeyer, Werner (2005). The Genus Syritta: A World Revision of the Genus Syritta Le Peletier & Serville, 1828 (Diptera: Syrphidae). Entomonograph. Vol. 15. Apollo Books. p. 224. ISBN87-88757-53-6.