Hoverflies, also called flower flies or syrphids, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the larvae (maggots) eat a wide range of foods.

Sep 3, 2023 · Once the eggs hatch, the larvae, also referred to as maggots, immediately start feeding on aphids and other small insects. The hoverfly larvae have a tapered, legless, maggot-like appearance and are usually green, brown, or cream-colored. Some key …

Jan 4, 2025 · Hoverflies can hover and buzz around humans, but they are not dangerous. They don’t have stingers like bees or wasps and do not bite. They will hover in mid-air as they fly between flowers, looking for nectar, which is where their name comes from.

Nov 13, 2020 · This shiny little marble is an adult female Ornidia obesa (most likely)…a green hover fly, or syrphid fly. (Like horse flies, female green hover flies have widely separated eyes while males have contiguous eyes, giving them a wrap-around sunglasses look.)

One of the colorful and common little flies in Florida which is most often mistaken for a harmful fruit fly is Allograpta obliqua (Say), a hover fly, flower fly, or syrphid fly. These flies can hover or fly backward, an ability possessed by few insects other than syrphid flies.

Dec 13, 2023 · While many hover flies look like bees or wasps, some have very distinct appearances. Criorhina genus: These are large and hairy flies. These hoverflies are medium to large in size, and often black, green, or yellow in color, resembling bumblebees.

Oct 6, 2023 · Here is a list of a few species of insectivorous hoverflies and a little description of each. Eupeodes americanus (the American Hoverfly): common across North America; shiny green to black with three pairings of black and white or …

There are actually around 6,000 species of hoverfly in 200 genera. These often-overlooked insects are captivating and intriguing. Read on to find out everything you need to know about these little garden beasties.

Scaeva pyrastri, common name the pied hoverfly, is a species of hoverfly. [4] These hoverflies are present in most of Europe, the Near East, the East Palearctic realm, the Nearctic realm, North Africa, and the Indomalayan realm. [5] . In the UK S. pyrastri is a migrant which arrives in some years in high numbers and in others is almost absent. [6]

Aug 2, 2021 · The larvae (maggots) can be identified by their green or brown bodies, short legs and large heads; which is much bigger than the rest of their body. Also, they have two tail-like appendages (cerci) at the rear end of their body.