Green Fingers I Wish

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Hover Flies - Beneficial Insects


Hover flies are in the Family of insects known as Syrphidae with just two wings like all the true flies, most other flying insects have four. The adults feed mainly on nectar and pollen, and can be seen among the flower borders hovering near to the blossoms.
The larvae feed on plant-sucking insects such as thrips as well as aphids. The female lays her eggs singly near to the sucking pests and the larvae hatch a few days later and are fully developed after about three weeks. The pupal stage which follows lasts for a further two to three weeks depending on the external conditions. There can be several generations throughout the year, but the final generation overwinters as pupae mainly in the soil before emerging the following spring.
There is some commercial use of hover flies to biologically control aphids with the added bonus of aiding pollination as the adults feed.

2 Comments:

  • I have always been wary of hover flies...no more thanks to you,Dex. very interesting site this is turning out to be. :)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:54 pm  

  • Apparently norma the bodies look like the markings of wasps and bees so as to frighten off would-be predators. Clever eh?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:08 pm  

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