ORDER: Diptera
FAMILY: Syrphidae
Size, Shape and Colour: 3/8″ (9-10 mm) in length. Black to metallic green colouring. The Hover Fly has 3 broad yellow crossbands not reaching margins of the abdomen, making them look similar to a wasp. It’s face is yellowish with a black stripe and black cheeks. Their wings are clear. The larvae are brown in colour.
Biology: Elongated white eggs are laid singly on plants infested by aphids. Pale grayish, slug-like larvae feed, then drop to soil to pupate under debris. Adults are active during June-August.
Preferred Foods: Adults feed on nectar and help to pollinate the flowers. Some species feed on dead insects. The larvae of different species eat different things. Some eat aphids.
Habitat: Hovering near and resting on flowers. Many seem prone to entering conservatories and greenhouses.
