Syrphid flies, flower flies, sweat bees
Physical Features
Adults:
Beneficial hover flies go undercover in fear-invoking disguises as adults.
Although their yellow and black stripes make them look like tough fighting
bees and wasps, their days of counterattacking crime are over. These flies
cannot sting, but they will pretend they can, pressing their stinger-less
butts down when threatened.
Larvae:
Larvae of hover flies (also known as ‘rat-tailed maggots’) look
much like the maggots you find in your garbage, but are usually colored
brightly green and yellow.
Beneficial Features
Slow moving and soft-bodied insects like aphids are on hover fly maggots’ list of criminals to capture. They can be found patrolling aphid colonies on the undersides of leaves. It’s not uncommon for a maggot to become a decorated officer for apprehending as many as 400 aphids during its youth (about 2-3 weeks)! Adult hover flies are in retirement from chasing down insects and spend their time feeding on aphid honeydew and flower nectar.
Recruitment
- Provide
many flowery hangouts for adults to reminisce about the good ol’
days while they kick back some grub. Plan your landscape so there’s
always something blooming during the growing season.
- Hover fly maggots are not as tough as they look. Many pesticides used in yards can kill them.
