View allAll Photos Tagged hoverfly
Hoverfly Volucella zonaria on a mission. She continued walking into the nest stopping every now and the to check the wasps were taking no notice of her.
Her mission was of couse to get into the wasp's nest and lay her eggs where the resulting larvae feed on the detritus and left overs of the dying wasp's nest
The Hoverfly is a harmless insect that mimics wasps and bees with its black and yellow stripes. It has one pair of clear wings, large dark eyes, and a short antenna. Hoverlfies are excellent fliers, often seen hovering in place before darting quickly to another flower. They feed on nectar and pollen, making them important pollinators.
Hoverflies, sometimes called flower flies, or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the larvae (maggots) eat a wide range of foods. In some species, the larvae are saprotrophs, eating decaying plant and animal matter in the soil or in ponds and streams. In other species, the larvae are insectivores and prey on aphids, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects.
Aphids alone cause tens of millions of dollars of damage to crops worldwide every year; because of this, aphid-eating hoverflies are being recognized as important natural enemies of pests, and potential agents for use in biological control. Some adult syrphid flies are important pollinators.
About 6,000 species in 200 genera have been described. Hoverflies are common throughout the world and can be found on all continents except Antarctica. Hoverflies are harmless to most other animals, despite their mimicry of more dangerous wasps and bees, which wards off predators.
Whist the female marmalade hoverflies were fattening up on ground elder in the neighbour's front garden, The males were doing territorial fighting around a mollis azalea bush in my back garden. This one seems to have some peculiar eye damage on one eye
Rather small Hoverfly.
Taken on The Greenway between Derrington and Haughton Staffordshire. 9th September 2011
My first and successful (and quite clear) shot of a hoverfly (family Syrphidae) in flight. I've tried it several times before but always disappointing and frustrating attempts. I really find them difficult to focus on (who doesn't?) as they constantly (and unpredictably) dart in several directions while hovering over a flower they fancy.
I used flash here to freeze it in midair flight. I think I did it well this time.
Volucella pellucens
Flies at head height, lays her eggs in the underground paper nests of the common
wasp. The larvae of the Hoverfly will then feed on the wasps young and dead adults. When fully grown the larvae leave the nest and pupate in the soil below to emerge the following year as an Adult Hoverfly.