Hoverfly heads under the lens:

What makes them different?

The head of a hoverfly is not only vital, but a fascinating structure designed for several functions some will be obvious and other less so. The intention of this blog is to do an overview of the components of the head that directly or indirectly contribute to flight, feeding, and sensory perception. A separate more in-depth article is probably required to delve into each component, watch out for those posts at some later date. 

Let’s compare a hoverfly head with a bee’s head, which although it may look similar has several interesting differences, see below. I hope to explore those differences, whilst giving ecological and evolutionary reasons for such adaptations and pointing out taxonomical purposes along the way. 

Outwardly there are six external features worthy of examination and discussion. Most of these features are connected to the brain and nervous system which not only processes the visual and olfactory information, but motor control for precision flight to assist in finding flowers and mates, and yet provides split-second decision-making needed to hover and evade predators. 

So, let’s ‘head-in’ and see what we can find…. Sorry I couldn’t resist the pun.

Are Hoverflies the Masters of the Air?

Hoverfly morphology: the wings

The function of any wing be it an insect or a bird is to give it maneuverability to help catch its prey, avoid a predator, and maybe even assist in mating. 
 
Ever seen a hoverfly just hovering around flower petals, leaves or a stem infested with aphids?
 
It’s probably a female and what it is trying to do is lay an egg on the plant without the aphids sending out chemical alarm calls. The egg of that hoverfly if laid successfully will hatch and mature into a hoverfly larva that will eat the aphids whilst it develops into an adult several weeks later. It goes without saying that this is why hoverflies are a gardener’s best friend, as they offer free pest control, if they are encouraged into your garden.
 
I am no physicist, and the purpose of the blog is not to even try to explain the process of flight. I hope however to ask the question of whether hoverflies are masters of the air, being able to frankly hover.