Hover flies, also called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Syrphidae. As their
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s; the adults of many
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
feed mainly on
nectar
Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...
and
pollen
Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...
, while the
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e (
maggot
A maggot is the larva of a fly (order Diptera); it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachycera flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and crane flies.
...
s) eat a wide range of foods. In some species, the larvae are
saprotroph
Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi (f ...
s, eating decaying plant and animal matter in the soil or in ponds and streams. In other species, the larvae are
insectivore
A robber fly eating a hoverfly
An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects.
The first vertebrate insectivores wer ...
s and prey on
aphid
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...
s,
thrip
Thrips ( order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...
s, and other plant-sucking insects.
Insects such as
aphid
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...
s are considered a
crop
A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydroponic ...
pest, and therefore the aphid-eating larvae of some hover flies serve as an economically (as well as ecologically) important
predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
and even potential agents for use in
biological control
Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...
, while the adults may be
pollinator
A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains.
Insects are the maj ...
s.
About 6,000 species in 200
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
have been described. Hover flies are common throughout the world and can be found on all continents except
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
. Hover flies are harmless to most
mammals
Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
, though many species are
mimics
Materialise Mimics is an image processing software for 3D design and modeling, developed by Materialise NV, a Belgian company specialized in additive manufacturing software and technology for medical, dental and additive manufacturing industries ...
of stinging
wasp
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...
s and
bees, a mimicry which may serve to ward off predators.
Description
The size of hover flies varies depending on the species.
For example ''
Paragus tibialis
''Paragus tibialis'', is a species of hoverfly found in many parts of Europe and North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for ...
''
is long while ''
Criorhina nigriventris
''Criorhina nigriventris '' (Walton, 1911), the Bare-cheeked Bumble Fly, is an uncommon species of syrphid fly observed across the northern United States, the Appalachian Mountains and southern Canada. Hoverflies can remain nearly motionless in ...
'' is long.
[ ] Some, such as members of the genus ''
Baccha
''Baccha'' is a genus of hoverflies in the subfamily Syrphinae. They are typically moderate sized with wasp-like bodies. Their larvae are predatory, often on aphids.
Species
*'' B. bistriatus'' Kohli, 1987
*'' B. elongata'' ( Fabricius, 1775)
* ...
'', are small, elongated, and slender, while others, such as members of ''
Criorhina
''Criorhina '' is a genus of hoverflies. Medium to large sized species, black or greenish black, with or without light ground markings mimicking bumblebees .The head is much flattened and broader than the thorax. The antennae are situated upon ...
'', are large, hairy, and yellow and black. As members of the
Diptera
Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
, all hover flies have a single functional pair of wings (the hind wings are reduced to
balancing organs).
Many species are brightly colored, with spots, stripes, and bands of yellow or brown covering their bodies.
Due to this coloring, they are often mistaken for
wasps
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. T ...
or
bees; they exhibit
Batesian mimicry
Batesian mimicry is a form of mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a predator of them both. It is named after the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates, after his work on bu ...
. Despite this, hover flies are harmless to humans.
Drone flies, ''
E. tenax,'' are an example of a species of hover fly who exhibit Batesian mimicry.
With a few exceptions,
hover flies are distinguished from other flies by having a
spurious
Spurious may refer to:
* Spurious relationship in statistics
* Spurious emission or spurious tone in radio engineering
* Spurious key in cryptography
* Spurious interrupt in computing
* Spurious wakeup in computing
* ''Spurious'', a 2011 novel ...
vein, located parallel to their fourth longitudinal wing vein.
Adults feed mainly on
nectar
Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...
and
pollen
Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...
.
Many species also hover around flowers, lending to their common name.
Bee flies of the family
Bombyliidae
The Bombyliidae are a family of flies, commonly known as bee flies. Adults generally feed on nectar and pollen, some being important pollinators. Larvae are mostly parasitoids of other insects.
Overview
The Bombyliidae are a large family of fl ...
often mimic Hymenoptera and hover around flowers, as well, rendering some bombyliid species hard to tell apart from Syrphidae at first glance. Hover flies can, nevertheless, be distinguished in the field by anatomical features such as:
* The legs and mouthparts of hover flies are usually not particularly long and thin (some bombyliids have a long and needle-like proboscis, many have legs that are noticeably longer and thinner than in similar-sized syrphids)
* Their facial cuticle often has prominent bulges and/or beak- to knob-like projections (most bee flies have an evenly curved or sloping face).
* The wings are often clear or have smooth gradients of tinting, and their veins merge posteriorly into a "false edge" that runs parallel to the wing's true rear edge and extends along half or more of the wing length (bombyliid wings lack a "false rear edge" and often have large dark areas with sharp boundaries, or complex patterns of spots).
* Their abdomens and thoraces often have glossy cuticular body surfaces, abdominal colors are usually mainly due to cuticular pigments (bee flies are usually very hairy, their abdominal colors are almost always due to pigmentation of hairs and not the underlying cuticle).
Reproduction and life cycle
![Hoverflies mating midair](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Hoverflies_mating_midair.jpg)
Unlike adults, the
maggot
A maggot is the larva of a fly (order Diptera); it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachycera flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and crane flies.
...
s of hover flies feed on a variety of foods; some are
saprotrophs, eating decaying plant or animal matter, while others are
insectivores
A robber fly eating a hoverfly
An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects.
The first vertebrate insectivores wer ...
, eating
aphids
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...
,
thrip
Thrips ( order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...
s, and other plant-sucking insects.
Predatory species are beneficial to farmers and gardeners, as aphids destroy crops, and hover fly maggots are often used in
biological control
Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...
. This includes one of the most common widespread hover fly species, ''
Episyrphus balteatus'', whose larvae feed on aphids. Certain species, such as ''
Merodon equestris
''Merodon equestris'' (Narcissus bulb fly, greater bulb fly, large bulb fly, large Narcissus fly) is a Holarctic species of hoverfly (Family Syrphidae).
Like many other hoverflies it displays a colouration pattern similar to a stinging insect ...
'' or ''
Eumerus tuberculatus
''Eumerus tuberculatus'', the lesser bulb fly (a common name shared by several species of this genus) is a species of hoverfly
Hover flies, also called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name ...
'', are responsible for
pollination
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds ...
.
![Hoverfly depositing egg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Hoverfly_depositing_egg.jpg)
An example of a well-known hover fly maggot is the
rat-tailed maggot
Rat-tailed maggots are the larvae of certain species of hoverflies belonging to the tribes Eristalini and Sericomyiini. A characteristic feature of rat-tailed maggots is a tube-like, telescoping breathing siphon located at its posterior end. Thi ...
, of the
drone fly
''Eristalis'' is a large genus of Hoverfly, hoverflies, family Syrphidae, in the order Diptera. Several species are known as drone flies (or droneflies) because they bear a resemblance to honeybee Drone (bee), drones.
Drone flies and their rela ...
, ''
Eristalis tenax
''Eristalis tenax'', the common drone fly, is a common, migratory, cosmopolitan species of hover fly. It is the most widely distributed syrphid species in the world, and is known from all regions except the Antarctic. It has been introduced in ...
''. It has a breathing siphon at its rear end, giving it its name.
The species lives in stagnant water, such as sewage and lagoons.
The maggots also have a commercial use, and are sometimes sold for
ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities.
Shelters
Longer ...
.
[Dictionary of Ichthyology; Brian W. Coad and Don E. McAllister](_blank)
at ww.briancoad.com
![Parasitoid wasp oviposits inside hoverfly larva](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Parasitoid_wasp_oviposits_inside_hoverfly_larva.jpg)
On extremely rare occasions, hover fly larvae have been known to cause
accidental myiasis in humans. This occurs when the larvae are accidentally ingested from contaminated food.
Evolution
The oldest known fossils of crown group
Syrphidae are from the
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...
aged
Florissant Formation
The Florissant Formation is a sedimentary geologic formation outcropping around Florissant, Teller County, Colorado. The formation is noted for the abundant and exceptionally preserved insect and plant fossils that are found in the mudstones and ...
,
Green River Formation
The Green River Formation is an Eocene geologic formation that records the sedimentation in a group of intermountain lakes in three basins along the present-day Green River in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. The sediments are deposited in very fine ...
and
Baltic amber
The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than 1 ...
. However, the genus ''
Prosyrphus'' from the
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', the ...
(
Cenomanian
The Cenomanian is, in the ICS' geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or the lowest stage of the Upper Cretaceous Series. An age is a unit of geochronology; it is a unit of time; the stage is a unit in the s ...
) aged
Burmese amber
Burmese amber, also known as Burmite or Kachin amber, is amber from the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar. The amber is dated to around 100 million years ago, during the latest Albian to earliest Cenomanian ages of the mid-Cretaceous period. The ...
appears to represent a
stem group
In phylogenetics, the crown group or crown assemblage is a collection of species composed of the living representatives of the collection, the most recent common ancestor of the collection, and all descendants of the most recent common ancestor. ...
to the family.
Distribution and habitat
Hover flies are a
cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
family found in most
biome
A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...
s, except extreme deserts,
tundra
In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless moun ...
at extremely high latitudes, and
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
.
Certain species are more common in certain areas than others; for example, the
American hoverfly, ''Eupeodes americanus'', is common in the
Nearctic realm
The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface.
The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...
, and the
common hoverfly, ''Melangyna viridiceps'', is common in the
Australasian realm
The Australasian realm is a biogeographic realm that is coincident with, but not (by some definitions) the same as, the geographical region of Australasia. The realm includes Australia, the island of New Guinea (comprising Papua New Guinea and ...
. About 6,000 species and 200 genera are in the family.
While some hover fly larvae are aquatic and are often found in stagnant water, those of species that prey upon
aphids
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...
and other plant parasites are usually terrestrial, residing on leaves. Adults are often found near flowers, their principal food source being nectar and pollen.
Some species are found in more unusual locations; for example, members of the genus ''
Volucella
''Volucella'' is a genus of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose aristae and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and ...
'' can be found in bumblebee nests, while members of ''
Microdon
Hover flies (family Syrphidae) of the genus ''Microdon'' are unusual among the Diptera. Like other members of the subfamily, they are myrmecophiles, meaning they inhabit the nests of ants.
There are 249 species known worldwide, with the great ...
'' are
myrmecophile
Myrmecophily ( , ) is the term applied to positive interspecies associations between ants and a variety of other organisms, such as plants, other arthropods, and fungi. Myrmecophily refers to mutualistic associations with ants, though in its m ...
s, found in ant or termite nests.
Others can be found in decomposing vegetation.
Pollination
![ComputerHotline - Syrphidae sp](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/ComputerHotline_-_Syrphidae_sp._%28by%29_%283%29.jpg)
Hover flies are important
pollinators
A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains.
Insects are the maj ...
of flowering plants in many ecosystems worldwide.
Syrphid flies are frequent flower visitors to a wide range of wild plants, as well as agricultural crops, and are often considered the second-most important group of pollinators after wild
bees
Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...
. However, relatively little research into fly pollinators has been conducted compared with bee species.
Bees are thought to be able to carry a greater volume of pollen on their bodies, but flies may be able to compensate for this by making a greater number of flower visits.
Like many pollinator groups, syrphid flies range from species that take a
generalist
A generalist is a person with a wide array of knowledge on a variety of subjects, useful or not. It may also refer to:
Occupations
* a physician who provides general health care, as opposed to a medical specialist; see also:
** General pract ...
approach to foraging by visiting a wide range of plant species through those that specialize in a narrow range of plants. Although hover flies are often considered mainly nonselective pollinators, some hover flies species are highly selective and carry pollen from one plant species. ''Cheilosia albitarsis'' is thought to only visit ''Ranunculus repens''.
Specific flower preferences differ among species, but syrphid fly species have repeatedly been shown to prefer white- and yellow-coloured flowers. Nonvisual flower cues such as olfactory cues also help these flies to find flowers, especially those that are not yellow. Many syrphid fly species have short, unspecialized mouth parts and tend to feed on flowers that are more open as the nectar and pollen can be easily accessed.
Also, a number of fascinating interactions occur between orchids and hover flies. The orchid species ''
Epipactis veratrifolia'' mimics alarm
pheromone
A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...
s of aphids which attracts pollinating hover flies . Another plant, the
slipper orchid
Cypripedioideae is a subfamily of orchids commonly known as lady's slipper orchids, lady slipper orchids or slipper orchids. Cypripedioideae includes the genera ''Cypripedium, Mexipedium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium'' and ''Selenipedium''. They ...
in southwest China, also achieves pollination by deceit by exploiting the innate yellow color preference of syrphids.
Case study – New Zealand
More than 40 species of syrphid flies are found in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
in a variety of habitats, including agricultural fields and alpine zones. Two hover fly species in Switzerland are being investigated as potential
biological control
Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...
agents of hawkweeds in New Zealand.
Native hover fly species ''
Melanostoma fasciatum
''Melanostoma fasciatum'' is a species of hoverfly found in New Zealand, where it is common in agricultural fields and gardens.
Locally dense populations of this hoverfly species might effectively reduce pest infestation. Hence, they are per ...
'' and ''
Melangyna novaezelandiae'' are common on agricultural fields in New Zealand. Coriander and tansy leaf are particularly attractive to many species of adults, which feed on their pollen. In organic paddocks, hover flies were found to feed on an average of three and a maximum of six different pollens. ''M. fasciatum'' has a short proboscis, which restricts it to obtaining nectar from disk flowers.
Syrphid flies are also common visitors to flowers in alpine zones in New Zealand. Native flies (''
Allograpta'' and ''
Platycheirus
''Platycheirus '' is a large genus of hoverflies. They are also called sedgesitters.
Species
Subgenus: ''Carposcalis'' Enderlein, 1938
*'' P. bertrandi'' ( Kolenati, 1913)
*'' P. confusus'' ( Curran, 1925)
*'' P. fenestratum'' ( Macquart, 18 ...
'') in alpine zones show preferences for flower species based on their colour in alpine zones; syrphid flies consistently choose yellow flowers over white regardless of species. However, syrphid flies are not as effective pollinators of alpine herb species as native solitary bees.
Systematics
Relationship with humans
Syrphid flies offer dual services to humans, with adults pollinating and larvae providing other services.
Larvae of many hover fly species prey upon pest insects, including
aphid
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...
s and
leafhopper
A leafhopper is the common name for any species from the family Cicadellidae. These minute insects, colloquially known as hoppers, are plant feeders that suck plant sap from grass, shrubs, or trees. Their hind legs are modified for jumping, and a ...
s, which spread some diseases such as
curly top
Curly Top is a 1935 American musical romantic comedy film starring Shirley Temple, John Boles and Rochelle Hudson.
Plot
A bachelor wants to adopt an orphan, but she refuses to leave behind her older sister, so he adopts them both. The man even ...
, so they are seen in biocontrol as a natural means of reducing the levels of pests. Gardeners, therefore, sometimes use
companion plant
Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects, maximizing use of space, and ...
s to attract hover flies. Those reputed to do so include ''
Alyssum
''Alyssum'' is a genus of over a hundred species of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae, native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region. The genus comprises annual plant, annu ...
'' spp., ''
Iberis umbellata
''Iberis umbellata'', common name garden candytuft or globe candytuft, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant of the genus ''Iberis'' and the family Brassicaceae.
Etymology
The genus name derives from "Iberia", the ancient name of Spain, while ...
'',
statice,
buckwheat
Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as '' Fago ...
,
chamomile
Chamomile (American English) or camomile (British English; see spelling differences) ( or ) is the common name for several plants of the family Asteraceae. Two of the species, ''Matricaria recutita'' and ''Anthemis nobilis'', are commonly us ...
,
parsley
Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to the central and eastern Mediterranean region (Sardinia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, southern Italy, Greece, Por ...
, and
yarrow
''Achillea millefolium'', commonly known as yarrow () or common yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Other common names include old man's pepper, devil's nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier's woundwort, and thousand seal.
The ...
. Larvae in the subfamily
Eristalinae
Eristalinae (or Milesiinae) are one of the four subfamilies of the fly family Syrphidae, or hoverflies. A well-known species included in this subfamily is the dronefly, ''Eristalis tenax''.
Species in this subfamily are often misclassified ...
live in semi-aquatic and aquatic environments, including manure and compost, and can filter and purify water.
book ''The Fly Trap'' concerns his enthusiasm for hover flies on the island of
Runmarö
Runmarö is an island located in the Stockholm archipelago in Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN ...
in the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
. The island is a hotspot for hover flies and other insects; Sjöberg has collected 58 species of butterflies there, and (in seven years of hunting) 202 species of hover flies, including 180 in his garden.
Identification guides
* Skevington, J.H., et al., 2019. Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America. Princeton University Press . This book "covers all 413 known syrphid species that occur in or north of Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri, west to include Iowa, Minnesota, Ontario, and Nunavut, and east to the Atlantic Ocean, including Greenland."
*Stubbs, A.E. and Falk, S.J. (2002) ''British Hoverflies An Illustrated Identification Guide''. Pub. 1983 with 469 pages, 12 col plates, b/w illus. British Entomological and Natural History Society . 276 species are described with extensive keys to aid identification. It displays 190 species on colour plates. 2nd edition, pub. 2002, includes new British species and name changes. It includes European species likely to appear in Britain. Additional black and white plates illustrate the male genitalia of the difficult genera ''Cheilosia'' and ''Sphaerophoria''.
* van Veen, M.P. (2004) ''Hoverflies of Northwest Europe: Identification Keys to the Syrphidae''. KNNV Publishing, Utrecht .
* Miranda G.F.G., Young A.D., Locke M.M., Marshall S.A., Skevington J.H., Thompson F.C. (2013) Key to the Genera of Nearctic Syrphidae.
Regional lists
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List of hoverfly species of Great Britain
The following is a list of hoverfly (Syrphidae) species recorded in Great Britain.
Alan Stubbs and Steven Falk, in their 1983 work ''British Hoverflies'', divided the family into subfamilies and tribes. These subdivisions are now believed to be ...
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List of flower flies of New Zealand
The following is a list of hoverfly (Syrphidae) species recorded in New Zealand. This list is based on a list of New Zealand hoverfly, flower flies published by F. Christian Thompson in 2008. Currently the list consists of 37 endemism, endemic ...
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List of the flower flies of North America
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Syrphidae of New York State
Total of 245 species either found or highly expected to be found in New York.
Subfamily Eristalinae, ERISTALINAE
Tribe Brachyopini
;This tribe contains 8 genera and 31 or likely more species found in New York State
Genus ''Brachyopa''
Genus ...
References
External links
Hoverfly – index to scholarly articles
Hoverfly Recording Scheme– UK Dipterists Forum
Syrphidae species in Europe and Africa, with photos, range maps, checklists and literatureDiptera.info Picture Gallery
Species lists
at nearctica.com
West Palaearctic including Russiaat faunaeur.org
at bishopmuseum.org
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List of the flower flies of North America
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List of hoverfly species of Great Britain
The following is a list of hoverfly (Syrphidae) species recorded in Great Britain.
Alan Stubbs and Steven Falk, in their 1983 work ''British Hoverflies'', divided the family into subfamilies and tribes. These subdivisions are now believed to be ...
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Syrphidae of New York State
Total of 245 species either found or highly expected to be found in New York.
Subfamily Eristalinae, ERISTALINAE
Tribe Brachyopini
;This tribe contains 8 genera and 31 or likely more species found in New York State
Genus ''Brachyopa''
Genus ...
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List of flower flies of New Zealand
The following is a list of hoverfly (Syrphidae) species recorded in New Zealand. This list is based on a list of New Zealand hoverfly, flower flies published by F. Christian Thompson in 2008. Currently the list consists of 37 endemism, endemic ...
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