View allAll Photos Tagged hoverfly
Hoverflies have been recorded flying at 3.5 meters per second with 120 wing beats per second.
Not bad for such a small dude!
Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus. This one was hanging about a large plant tray I keep filled with water under a rhododendron bush
Taken for the Flickr ✿ Learn & Have Fun Contests ✿ group... www.flickr.com/groups/learn_fun_contests/
If you have a Point & Shoot Camera why not come and join in, have some fun as well as learning a few things along the way!:o)
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.