'A Great Little Ally'. Sphaerophoria rueppelli, Small Long Hoverfly, on Woodland Strawberry, Fragaria vesca, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
'A Great Little Ally' is the title of a recent, fascinating study authored by J.L. Orengo-Green et al. in The European Zoological Journal 89 (2022). In it a fine morphological analysis is given of the immature forms of our Hoverfly. The 'ally' refers to the insect's control of aphids in your garden: the larvae prey on them and thus reduce the risks of damage to your plants. The article has fine photographs, too, of the various pre-imago stages of Hoverfly.
The photo shows it on the flower of Woodland Strawberry, almost in full flower.
'A Great Little Ally'. Sphaerophoria rueppelli, Small Long Hoverfly, on Woodland Strawberry, Fragaria vesca, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
'A Great Little Ally' is the title of a recent, fascinating study authored by J.L. Orengo-Green et al. in The European Zoological Journal 89 (2022). In it a fine morphological analysis is given of the immature forms of our Hoverfly. The 'ally' refers to the insect's control of aphids in your garden: the larvae prey on them and thus reduce the risks of damage to your plants. The article has fine photographs, too, of the various pre-imago stages of Hoverfly.
The photo shows it on the flower of Woodland Strawberry, almost in full flower.