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Stackshot rail
zerene stacker
Nikon d810
nikon plan 10x/0,25 microscope objective on a nikkor 200mm f4 lens
focus step 0.01mm
We spotted this hoverfly visiting a blooming sunflower. These oblique streaktail hoverflies are common in North America. Adults visit a variety of flowers and are typically active from summer through early fall. Larvae feed on a variety of aphid species along with other pests including mites, mealybugs and whiteflies.
Photo by Courtney Celley/USFWS.
Hoverflies
I saw two hoverflies attend
A willowherb in bloom.
One perched to drink and would not shift
To give the other room.
The other levelled in the air
Unable to alight,
But fixed his eyes and kept the flower
Steady in his sight.
Satisfied, the drinker dropped
Half-senseless by the way;
I cannot tell what happened next
Because I did not stay,
But by my heart, I hope the other
Sought no deeper share,
But stared with longing all his life
And lingered in the air.
One was like a constant friend,
One like a passing lover:
One glad to drink and and fall away,
And one content to hover.
Song lyric by Giles Watson, 2013.
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, aphidophagous 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 serves to ward off predators.
A hoverfly on a geranium flower. Taken when mooching around in the garden on a sunny evening looking for bird shots with a 'big bertha' telephoto lens!
Hoverflies (Syrphidae) are mostly nectar-feeding plant pollinators, while larvae include predators, plant feeders (herbivores) and recyclers (detritivores). They are brilliant pollinators that are often overlooked.