Stephen Albert
The hover fly is a beneficial insect. It is also called the syrphid fly and sometimes the flower fly.
Adult hover flies are pollinators. They are often seen hovering like hummingbirds over flowers as they drink nectar. Adult hover flies do not feed on pest insects.
Hover fly larvae do feed on pest insects. They eat many species of aphids. They also eat young cabbage worms and other caterpillars and mealybugs.
Adult hover fly resemble small wasps. They have yellow- or white-and-black striped abdomens and are ¼ to ½ inches long.
Hover fly larvae are small gray or greenish slug-like maggots.
Female hover flies lay eggs on plants, usually plants infested with aphids. The eggs are white cylinders laid singly or in small groups. Eggs hatch in two to three days. The larvae feed on aphids for three to four weeks then drop to the soil to pupate. Adults emerge after two weeks.
There are typically three to seven generations of hover flies each year. The pupae over winter in the soil or garden debris then emerge in spring.
Attract hover flies to the garden by planting nectar-rich flowers: alyssum, Aster, Coreopsis, cosmos, daisies, dill, fennel, feverfew, lavender, marigolds, mint, statice, sunflowers, wild mustard, and zinnias. Try to ensure that nectar and pollen rich plants are always in bloom from spring through autumn.
Scientific name: Family Syrphidae
