Anyone who encounters a black and yellow striped hoverfly will be afraid. Such specimens form only a small part of this species-rich family. Their colors are very variable and in many cases the insects imitate the appearance of other creatures.
Hoverfly in profile
Hoverflies have the rare ability to constantly “stand” in the air
Hoverflies are a family and are also known as standing or buzzing flies. They are able to fly constantly in the air and can stay in one place even in strong winds. The majority of species are harmless. But pictures of hoverflies do not suggest this, because many hoverflies look like defensive hymenoptera.
Hoverfly – English:
- hoverflies: Flies that float in the air
- flower flies: Insects have a preference for yellow flowers
- syrphid flies: derived from the scientific family name “Syrphidae”
Flying Artist
The large hoverfly can be found in almost all habitats in Europe. It flies from April to October. The insects appear particularly elegant in flight because they can remain in the air like a hummingbird with around 300 wing beats in a second. Hoverflies can fly forwards and backwards equally quickly. If you want to see the insects up close, you must approach carefully. Hoverflies often wake up briefly and then return to the feeding site after a few sightseeing flights.
Versatile menu
Adult hoverflies collect nectar and pollen exclusively from yellow-flowering plants. Some species, such as the grove hoverfly, need pollen for more than just energy. This food is essential for the development of the gonad, in which sex hormones and germ cells are produced. Their larvae have a wide range of food, although the preferred food of a larva varies depending on the species.
| Lifestyle | Food | habitat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large hoverfly | Robbers | Aphids | almost all biotopes |
| Dungbee | Decomposer | decomposing organic material | Septic tanks and septic tanks, mud banks |
| Wasp rotwood hoverfly | Decomposer | Leaves, mulm, rotten wood | moist, old deciduous and mixed forests |
| Skull Hoverfly | Decomposer | Feces | Forests, semi-arid grasslands, gardens |
| Daffodil Hoverfly | Herbivores | Flower bulbs | Gardens, settlements |
| Spruce resin fly | Decomposer | Wood | Coniferous forests |
| Bumblebee hoverfly | Robbers and Decomposers | Waste and dead insects | Forest edges, clearings, paths |
Beneficial insect in the garden habitat
In spring, many hoverfly larvae are among the first predatory organisms to attack lice such as the apple grass louse. Until they pupate, a larva consumes large quantities of aphids. One larva catches up to 100 lice per day. Later in the year, the beneficial insects are used to combat spider mites, aphids, bloodlice or beetle larvae that can be dangerous to your plants.
- Use as beneficial insects in commercial fruit cultivation
- help in the greenhouse and kitchen garden
- protect ornamental shrubs and herbs in the garden
The larvae pupate after just eight to 14 days. The adult insects fly to flowering plants from which they collect pollen and nectar. Along with bees, they are one of the most important pollinators in nature and ensure a larger harvest in the home garden.
Can the hoverfly sting?
The hoverfly dresses dangerously, but is completely harmless
Names like hornet hoverfly or bumblebee hoverfly don't bode well. In the animal kingdom, the name often indicates a behavior or peculiarity of the species. In the case of these hoverflies, the names provide information about their striking appearance. The bumblebee hoverfly is reminiscent of a bumblebee, while the hornet hoverfly has taken on the frightening appearance of its namesake.
Excursus
Mimicry
Hoverflies have adapted to very specific models in the course of their evolution. They imitate the color patterns and hair types of other insects that can defend themselves against predators. Some hoverflies resemble wasps.
This signaling effect is the only protection for hoverflies, as they neither have stinging tools nor produce poisonous substances. This phenomenon is called mimicry and affects not only potential predators such as birds but sometimes also humans.
Behaviour
Hoverflies are curious and invest a lot of time exploring their habitat. During these tours they can easily get into cracks in buildings and thus enter apartments. They rarely find their way outside again, so they die of thirst on the window pane. Light skin is also often touched and dabbed. Perfumes and deodorant sprays further confuse the insects because they create the perfect illusion of a fragrant flower.
Physique
Hoverflies have mouthparts that are converted into licking proboscis. In some species, the front area of the head is elongated like a snout, so that they can both suck up liquid substances such as nectar and bite into pollen. With these sucking and licking mouthparts, hoverflies are unable to sting. There is no need to fear a sting or bite if such an insect explores your skin. The animals are completely harmless.
Hoverflies may look dangerous, but they are completely harmless to humans.
Fighting hoverflies?
Hoverflies only appear in large numbers where there is food
Every few years it happens that hoverflies reproduce en masse. This is due to mild temperatures in late winter combined with high humidity. First, the vegetation can develop splendidly, which means that aphids have more food. This leads to a mass proliferation of hoverflies because they benefit from the excess supply of B altic lice.
Prevent instead of fight
Fighting hoverflies is not recommended under any circumstances. Nature automatically keeps the extensive populations in check. As soon as the large masses of aphids have been destroyed, the hoverfly population automatically declines. If you find the animals a nuisance, you should take preventative measures:
- Avoid popular food plants
- Remove overwintering areas and remove wilted plants in autumn
- Remove aphids gently
- Protect greenhouses and winter gardens with fly screens
Avoid chemical agents
Hoverflies react extremely sensitively to insecticides. The effect is not only direct, in that the insects die, but also indirectly. If the availability of flowers is reduced due to spraying or excessive fertilization, hoverflies no longer find enough food and die in large numbers.
Released into nature
If the insects have accumulated in your apartment, you should first open the windows. In this way, the hoverflies can return to nature on their own, where they can carry out their useful tasks. If a weakened animal has settled down, you can put a screw-top jar over it and catch it. Your plants on the balcony, terrace or in the garden will thank you because this way the beneficial insects can fight aphid infestation.
How to recognize a hoverfly
In Europe there are around 500 different species of hoverflies, which are often not easy to identify. A number of species are reminiscent of wasps, bees, bumblebees or hornets due to their shape, markings or hair. However, hoverflies can easily be distinguished from these insects.
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| hoverflies | Wasps | Honeybees | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | long and slim or stocky, no noticeable narrowing, spineless | Wasp waist: “stalked” abdomen | bright, felt-like hair tie |
| Wings | a pair of wings | two pairs of wings | two pairs of wings |
| Sensor | very short | clearly visible with black or yellow base | clearly visible |
| Head | typical fly eyes | kidney-shaped compound eyes, biting mouthparts | hairy compound eyes |
| Flight | floating | long stretched legs, often intrusive | regular trajectories |
Identify types of hoverflies
The striking hoverflies that you may have noticed in your own garden or in nature appear black and yellow striped. They are reminiscent of bees, wasps or bumblebees. But the spectrum of colors and drawings goes far beyond this pattern. There are both furry and hairless species. They can appear variegated, two-tone or monochromatic.
Striped Hoverflies
The gray broad-footed hoverfly has black and white stripes
The most striking species fall into this group. Anyone who encounters them will be put off by the signal markings. This applies not only to potential predators but also to people. A striped hoverfly looks like a wasp to some observers. But upon closer inspection, such specimens are clearly recognizable as flies. The markings of the abdomen are variable and can also appear black and white.
Hoverflies with black and white markings:
- White broadband hoverfly (Ischyrosyrphus laternarius)
- Gray broad-footed hoverfly (Platycheirus albimanus)
- Green broad-bellied hoverfly (Didea alneti)
Small hoverfly
The species with the scientific name Syrphus vitripennis has a distribution spectrum that extends across Europe. It reaches a size of between nine and eleven millimeters. The characteristic feature is the dull colored abdomen with three yellow bands, the first of which is interrupted in the middle by a black area. Certain distinguishing features from the very similar large hoverfly are the body size and coloring of the hind legs. In the case of the small hoverfly, three quarters of these are colored black.
Large hoverfly
It is also called the common garden hoverfly (Syrphus ribesii). Like the small hoverfly, this species occurs throughout Europe and is not tied to any particular habitat. This hoverfly is not very big. It is between ten and twelve millimeters long.
It has a flat and black forehead with a rusty red area above the antennae. Their wings appear slightly tinted brown and the legs are colored yellow. Males have half black legs. An important distinguishing feature from the similar hairy hoverfly are the compound eyes, which are hairless in the large hoverfly.
Drawing:
- black-yellow colored
- first yellow bandage broken in the middle
- subsequent bandages become narrower towards the middle
Common forest hoverfly
This species, also known as the common bumblebee hoverfly (Volucella pellucens), flies in Central Europe from May to September. This hoverfly is strikingly large and reaches a length of between twelve and 18 millimeters. The wine-red colored compound eyes are typical.
Their abdomen is short and looks clumsy. This is colored black, with a striped pattern created by the ivory-colored second abdominal segment. In some individuals this band is divided into two spots. There is a noticeable dark spot on both wings.
Skull Hoverfly
The skull hoverfly looks very similar to the bee
The hoverfly is sometimes called the common umbel hoverfly (Myathropa florea) and is one of the species commonly found in Central Europe. Its twelve to 14 millimeter long body has a yellow-black pattern that is reminiscent of a skull. The wings appear to have a subtle brown tint and the legs are marked yellow-black.
Bee, bumblebee or hornet-like hoverflies
Species that mimic the appearance of stinging hymenoptera often develop in the nests of their models. The larvae are not always predatory, but also feed on decomposing materials or dead animals in the nest. To protect themselves from potential predators, adult hoverflies take on the appearance of their brood carers.
Common daffodil hoverfly
This comparatively thick hoverfly reaches a body length of between eleven and 14 millimeters and is reminiscent of a bumblebee due to the dense hair on its abdomen. The larvae of the common daffodil hoverfly (Merodon equestris) prefer to feed on bulbs of the lily and daffodil families. Since the coloring of the adult insects varies, the species is not always easy to recognize. There are seven color variations, but they all have typical body characteristics:
- light hairy eyes
- Legs colored black, hind legs with typical extension
- characteristic wings with a strong bulge in the third vein
Tip
The larvae of this species can feast on your flower bulbs. The hoverfly is more common in gardens and settlements and likes to sunbathe in areas free of vegetation.
Hornet hoverfly
This giant hoverfly, also known as the large forest hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), is very large compared to Central European hoverflies. Its body is between 16 and 22 millimeters long and resembles the appearance of a hornet. The species has rusty-red compound eyes and yellow-colored antennae.
Their abdomen is reddish-yellow in color, interrupted by two black bands. The similarly colored banded forest hoverfly has three black bands on its abdomen. The hornet hoverfly is found primarily in southern parts of Central Europe. Their larvae develop in the nests of wasps and hornets.
Dungbee
The crap bee isn't actually a bee at all
It is also known as the mud bee or false bee wedge-spotted hoverfly (Eristalis tenax) and is widespread in rural areas. Their offspring are called rat-tailed larvae because of their characteristic appearance. They live in cesspools and septic tanks or in the mud at the edges of ponds. Bacteria-rich and oxygen-poor waters are typical habitats. The bee-like insects occur on dung heaps.
Typical features:
- between 14 and 18 millimeters tall
- dark colored abdomen with ocher, yellow or reddish spots
- Drawing may vary
- easy to catch with your hands
Solid Hoverflies
Among the hoverflies there are numerous species that are colored solid black. In contrast to striped hoverflies, they appear inconspicuous. The majority of black species belong to the genus of ore hoverflies (Cheilosia), which is the most species-rich genus in this family. But even species from other genera do not stand out due to their striking markings:
- Black eyespot hoverfly: black hoverfly with longitudinal stripes on the back
- White-footed ore hoverfly: shiny blue-black with light yellow legs
- Common emerald hoverfly: velvety black abdomen and dark red eyes
Settle in the garden
By designing your garden to be close to nature and planting the hoverflies' preferred food plants, you are offering the beneficial insects a valuable habitat. If necessary, you can order larvae online and settle them in the garden. But with the right food supply, the insects come automatically.
Plant offer
Since hoverflies have a comparatively short proboscis, they rely on plants with easily accessible nectar and pollen. Since the insects usually form several generations per year and fly from April to October, they need a varied and permanent supply of flowers.
A combination of early-blooming bulbs and late-blooming species is particularly important. The petals should not be formed into long tubes. Sal willow, privet and fennel are also popular fodder plants, as are wild garlic or coltsfoot.
The ideal hoverfly garden:
- Umbelliferous plants: hogweed, wild chervil, wild carrot, groundweed
- Ranunculus family: marsh marigold, creeping buttercup
- Roses: Hawthorn, blackthorn, raspberry
Tip
Avoid mulching edge strips and leave these corners to run naturally. Flower-rich areas in which hoverflies live automatically develop here.
Wintering quarters
Shrubs and hedges not only enrich the menu as substitute food, but also serve as an important retreat in winter. To hibernate, they look for sheltered niches and retreat into hollow stems. Leave wilted and seemingly dead perennials standing over the winter, as the hollow stems protect overwintering creatures.
Frequently asked questions
Are there dangerous hoverflies?
There are known cases in which the dung bee has infected people with fly maggot disease or myiasis. It is not clear how the eggs got into the human digestive tract. However, this phenomenon is a rare exception. The dung bee is not dangerous to humans.
Are hoverflies harmful?
Daffodil hoverflies can drive hobby gardeners crazy because their larvae feed on bulbs from various daffodil and lily plants. In the worst case scenario, the bulb rots, which is why the species is controlled using chemical agents in commercial daffodil cultivation.
How do hoverflies differ from normal flies?
An important distinguishing feature is a fold of skin in the wing of the hoverfly, which is called a false vein. Bristle hairs are largely absent in these insects. The most striking feature, which is also recognizable to non-biologists, is the hovering flight. In addition, numerous species imitate defensive bees, wasps or bumblebees. This mimicry is refined to perfection in some species. Not only do they look similar to their role models, they also imitate their flying sounds.
How many aphids can kill hoverflies?
The larvae can noticeably decimate even a severe lice infestation. A large hoverfly larva eats around 100 aphids per day, so that large populations are destroyed in the course of their development. If leaves, fruits and shoots are too badly damaged, even the useful pest controller can no longer save the affected plant.
