Flower-fly

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Flies in the Diptera family Syrphidae are commonly known as flower flies, hoverflies, or Syrphid flies.

As their common names suggest, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults 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, and so aphid-feeding hover-flies are being recognised as important natural enemies of pests, and potential agents for use in biological control. Adult syrphid flies are important pollinators.

Many Syrphids mimic bees or wasps in appearance. It is thought that this mimicry protects hover flies from falling prey to birds and other insectivores which avoid eating true wasps because of their sting. However a flower fly and a wasp can be distinguished by counting the wings. The flies have two wings, and the wasps and bees have four. Hover flies get their name from their characteristic flight pattern of hovering nearly still, then darting a short distance very rapidly only to start hovering again, a pattern not seen in the wasps and bees they mimic.

About 6,000 species in 200 genera have been described.

Gallery

Image:Schwebfliege.jpg|Episyrphus balteatus Image:FlowerFly-BeeType.jpg|Episyrphus balteatus Image:Syrphid_fly_Temnostoma.jpg|Wasp Mimic Temnostoma sp. Image:Hoverfly close.jpg Image:Volucella_inanis_fg1.jpg|Volucella inanis Image:FlyingBugPollinating-Oct15-lighter-cleaner.jpg|Flower-fly Ocyptamus Image:Syrphid_fly_Mallota_1.jpg|Bumblebee Mimic
Mallota sp. Image:Hoverfly06.jpg Image:Flower fly Victoria, Australia Oct 2003.jpg Image:hoverfly_macro.jpg Image:Syrphid_Wynaad.jpg|Bee mimic from the Western Ghats

Identification guides

• Stubbs, A.E. and Falk, S.J. (2002) British Hoverflies An Illustrated Identification Guide. Originally published in 1983 with 469 pages, 12 col plates, b/w illus.British Entomological and Natural History Society [ISBN 1899935053]. 276 species are described and their identification is made easy by the extensive keys, which incorporate over 640 line drawings. The 12 superb colour plates by Steven Falk show 263 specimens depicting 190 different species. Good information on the family. An extensively revised second edition was published in 2002. This incorporates the new species added to the British list since 1983 and includes many name changes. The keys have been extensively revised to include the additional species, and also to include a number of European species which are considered likely to be found in Britain. There are 17 additional black & white plates illustrating the male genitalia of the difficult genera Cheilosia and Sphaerophoria.
• Vockeroth , J.R. A revision of the genera of the Syrphini (Diptera: Syrphidae) Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada, no. 62:1-176. Keys subfamilies, tribes and genera on a world basis and under regions.

See also

• [Bibliography] covers morphology, identification, taxonomy, biology and faunistics
• List of Hoverfly species recorded in Britain

External links

• [The web-site of the British Hoverfly Recording Scheme includes photos, maps and species accounts]
• [Syrphidae species in Europe, with photos, range maps and literature]
• [USDA Entomology site]
• [Large numbers of Syrphidae photos]
• [Northwest European Hoverflies: identification keys and photos]
• [Identification key] for Volucella species
• [Photographs of World Hoverflies from Japan, in English]

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