Facts about hoverflies

Things to know about hoverflies:

     1. Hoverflies are flies meaning they have 2 wings instead of 4 like Bees, Wasps & Ants. The 2nd pair of wings have devolved into club-like structures called halteres that act as a gyroscope. They can even fly backwards as well as hover.

     2. They are pollinators, pest controllers and decomposers all rolled into one, something bees or wasps cannot put claim to.

   

  

Adult (pollinator)            Larva eating aphids (pest controllers)         Larva in Lagoon (decomposer)

     3. They are mimics of bees and wasps and have decorative patterns on the thorax and abdomens, which disguise them from predators. One commonly known as the Batman (Myathropa florea) has the bat motif on the thorax, whereas another known commonly as a footballer (Helophilus pendulus) has a striped thorax like a football shirt.

      Photos: Myathropa florea K.Hinchcliffe  Helophilus pendulus M.Dudley

4. There are 6000 species of hoverfly in the world and 280+ can be found in the UK, up to 70 are known to visits flowers and plants in a typical garden.

      5.    For most species you can distinguish a male from a female by their eyes, when viewed from above. In females the eyes are separated and in males they are joined. There are a few exceptions, where both sexes have separated eyes, but it is a general rule that applies to most.