You probably know that the hoverfly is a plant-damaging insect. But do you also know where the pest comes from, what preferences it has with regard to its environment and how you distinguish it from other insects? This profile will help you to be able to answer these questions with solid knowledge in the future.
Hoverflies "disguise" themselves as bees or wasps
General
biological classification
- Suborder: Insects
- Genus: Diptera
- Number of species worldwide: around 6000
designations and synonyms
- German name: hoverfly
- Synonyms: standing fly
- Latin name: Syrphidae
anatomy and appearance
body
- Size: - 1-1.5cm
- Colour: black and yellow striped, more rarely orange or brown striped
- Body shape: depending on the species, wedge-shaped, long, narrow, rounded, short or club-shaped
- have no sting
- have only forewings, hindwings are strongly developed backwards
Interesting Anatomy: The adult male hoverflies have greatly enlarged eyes. Biologists assume that these serve to find pairs.
behavior
- some species are migratory insects (see below)
- Diet of adult hoverflies: nectar and pollen
- Food of the larvae: wood, leaves, bulbs, droppings, other residues of other insects, caterpillars, small insects
- adapted mouthparts enable the ingestion of liquid nectar as well as solid pollen
- Larvae inhabit breeding grounds of other insects, preying on their offspring
- diurnal
- Lifestyle: loner
- pupate after 14 days
- Mating occurs in flight
- Flight characteristics: can fly forwards and backwards at lightning speed, stand in the air (similar to hummingbirds)
Amazing: During migration, the hoverflies cover long distances. Similar to birds migrating south in the fall, the flocks even cross the Alps.
origin and habitat
- Distribution: worldwide
- Origin: not known
- Habitat: Parks, meadow orchards, forests
Others
- natural predators: birds
- not threatened with extinction
- Risk of confusion with bees and wasps
- useful as a pollinator and for controlling aphids
Interesting to know: Even though hoverflies are significantly smaller than bees or wasps, they closely resemble these insects. This is quite intended by nature. With this look, the hoverflies keep their predators away by appearing more dangerous than they actually are. In biology, this property is called mimicry.