Hoverfly - Myathropa florea
There are around 276 species of hoverflies in Britain that can range from the size of a gnat to the size of a bumble bee. A hoverfly can beat it's wings several hundred times per second in which to stay stationary in the air. There is a structure in the middle on the wing called a vena spuria, or false vein, and it is this that enables the horsefly's wings to flex and hence hover, with a up-down wing-beat which is less exhausting than a figure-of-eight acrobatic's similar to what a hummingbird must undergo to stay in the air. Hoverflies are also important pollinators and have also been known as Sweat-Flies, Syrphids and Flower Flies.
Hoverfly - Myathropa florea
There are around 276 species of hoverflies in Britain that can range from the size of a gnat to the size of a bumble bee. A hoverfly can beat it's wings several hundred times per second in which to stay stationary in the air. There is a structure in the middle on the wing called a vena spuria, or false vein, and it is this that enables the horsefly's wings to flex and hence hover, with a up-down wing-beat which is less exhausting than a figure-of-eight acrobatic's similar to what a hummingbird must undergo to stay in the air. Hoverflies are also important pollinators and have also been known as Sweat-Flies, Syrphids and Flower Flies.