What do hover flies do

The larvae of different species eat different things. Some eat aphids. Hovering near and resting on flowers. Many seem prone to entering conservatories and greenhouses. Martin Harper Blog. How nature can help protect our homes Following the floods this winter, watch how one area is using nature as a natural protector.

Most popular bird guides this month Which bird song is that? Who to contact if you spot an injured or baby bird Read more advice about what to do if you find a bird that needs help. How green are you? See some of the ways you can get into green living. Marshside This fantastic wetland site is located north of Southport town centre and has some of the best wildlife in the region. Lytchett Fields The reserve has seen more than thirty species of wading birds.

Arne Heathland home to more than species. Get out, get busy and get wild! Fun factoids for all the family Find out more about the nature and wildlife outside your window. Scientific name: Syrphidae Type: Insects. Key information Although these brightly-coloured insects look like bees or wasps, they are in fact true flies and do not sting. Most are green or brown in colour, going largely unnoticed as they crawl over foliage in search of their aphid prey.

Some people mistake hover flies for wasps or bees because of their black and yellow-striped abdomens and also because they can occur in huge numbers. However, they are actually members of a fly family that have evolved as wasp and bee mimics. Get our monthly emails for amazing animals, research insights and museum events. Hover flies may appear in large numbers during hot weather. They linger in gardens to feed at flowers and to seek shade. Many species perform the useful role of ridding the garden of aphids, as they lay their eggs in aphid colonies and the larvae maggots feed on the aphids.

Hover flies are also called flower flies because they are commonly seen during warmer months hovering among flowers, feeding and mating. They pollinate many plants and help keep aphids under control. Some hover fly species Eristalis sp lay their eggs in stagnant water. These aquatic larvae have a long thin breathing tube - hence the common name, "rat-tailed maggots". Another hover fly species Microdon sp has a larval form that scientists originally classified as a mollusc because it looks rather like a small slug.

Microdon larvae survive by scavenging in ant nests, mimicking the ants' chemicals in order to escape detection by their hosts. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands. Image credit: gadigal yilimung shield made by Uncle Charles Chicka Madden. It is suspected that they can somehow sense the intruder as the escape manoeuvre is always in the opposite direction of the predator.

In other documentation on survival strategies, the hoverfly larvae have been reported to develop an immune response to deter attacks from wasps. The larvae secrete poisonous compounds from specialised cells to kill the predatory wasp.

Hover flies provide important ecological services for various agricultural crops and native wild plant species in many ecosystems globally. This has earned them a status of being considered the second-most important pollinator after bees.

This further emphasises their contribution towards sustaining natural and agricultural landscapes. In various instances, the larvae have been documented to play a major role in the biological control of important pests within agricultural landscapes. They prey heavily on aphids, leafhoppers, white flies and scale insects, which are known to cause massive damage in crop systems.

There are no documented negative impacts associated with hover flies when it comes to their interactions with humans. Also, it is not known if they are eaten or domesticated in any manner. What is clear is their importance for pollination and as biological control — both aspects are of great benefit to humans. Pic: Tlou Masehela.

The conservation status for hover flies has not been determined. Most studies suggest that they are widespread and not threatened.

However, like most insect pollinators, they are under severe pressure from habitat fragmentation, the widespread use of agricultural pesticides, the decline in desired forage areas, and other climate change—related impacts such as dry and hot weather conditions. Hoverflies are generally not adapted to high temperatures and conditions of aridity — bearing in mind that this might also not apply to all species, depending on their geographic distribution and habitat requirements. Hover flies belong to one of the largest orders, Diptera, with about 16 known species.

Their family, Syrphidae with more than 6 species , is among the three major groups of flies. Some of the families within this group include Phoridae coffin flies , Conopidae big-headed flies and Tephritidae fruit flies. A common feature among the fly families is probably their high flower visitation rate, which to some degree still requires more documentation and research.

Author: Dr Tlou Masehela Email: t. Skip to content. Home » Animal of the week » Hover flies. Nov 25, Oct 14, Pic: Joaquin Mengual Sanchis Description Hover flies are generally small in size with wing spans ranging between 18 and 20 mm.

Getting around Hover files have one pair of wings, which are often clear or may have smooth gradients of dark brown, yellow or black tinting. Distribution Hover flies occur widely throughout the world. Habitat Hover flies can be found in a wide range of habitats; from forests to different types of bushvelds and home gardens.

Food Adults feed on pollen and nectar of several flowering plants. Smart Strategies Hover flies mimic bees, wasps and a few other insects to put off predators. Poorer world without me Hover flies provide important ecological services for various agricultural crops and native wild plant species in many ecosystems globally.

Pic: Tlou Masehela Conservation status and what the future holds The conservation status for hover flies has not been determined. Relatives Hover flies belong to one of the largest orders, Diptera, with about 16 known species. Diversity of hoverfly Diptera: Syrphidae communities in different habitat types in Zanjan Province, Iran. ISRN Zoology. Petanidou, T.