Hover Flies

Syrphidae

Hover flies are small, friendly insects that look like tiny bees. They love to fly around flowers and help plants by spreading pollen.

Hábitat: Urban areas

Aspecto

The Hover Flies has a stout, often furry body with bright yellow and black stripes, making them look a lot like bees or wasps. They possess large, compound eyes and a single pair of clear wings, setting them apart from four-winged insects.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloArthropodaClaseInsectaOrdenDipteraFamiliaSyrphidae

Hover Flies

Categoría

Insectos

Rareza

Common

Peligro

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Snaps

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Datos interesantes

Many hover fly larvae are incredible aphid hunters, eating hundreds in their short lives!

Some hover fly species can even fly backward or upside down with amazing aerial skill!

They are completely harmless to humans; they cannot sting or bite!

Unlike bees or wasps, hover flies only have one pair of wings, not two!

Habilidades especiales

Hover Flies can hover perfectly still, fly backward, and dart rapidly because they have specialized wing muscles that allow incredibly precise flight control.

Hover Flies have larvae that are voracious predators of aphids and other soft-bodied pests, helping gardeners protect their plants naturally.

Hover Flies can mimic the appearance of stinging bees and wasps because their striped patterns and fuzzy bodies trick predators into staying away.

Hover Flies can effectively pollinate many flowers because they visit blooms for nectar and pollen, transferring it between plants.

Medidas y detalles

Envergadura: 8-50 mm
Tamaño: 4-25 mm
Esperanza de vida: 7-30 días
Velocidad de vuelo: 10 km/h
Cantidad de patas: 6

Dieta y alimentación

Adults sip nectar and pollen; larvae feast on plant pests like aphids!

Diferencias por edad: Adults feed on nectar and pollen; larvae are typically predatory on aphids or detritivorous.

Alimentos principales

Nectar
Pollen
Aphids
Mealybugs
Decaying organic matter

Método de búsqueda

Foraging

Conexiones ecológicas

pollinates

Wild Carrot

Daucus carota

Transfers pollen while feeding on flowers.

eaten by

Great Tit

Parus major

A common bird predator of adult hover flies.

hunts

Cotton Aphid

Aphis gossypii

Larvae prey on these common garden pests.

eaten by

Black and Yellow Garden Spider

Argiope aurantia

Often caught in spider webs while flying.

Rasgos

Social

Los animales sociales viven en grupos organizados, cooperando para obtener beneficios de supervivencia como la búsqueda de alimento, la defensa y la cría de descendencia.

Colorido

Colorido describe a organismos u objetos que exhiben una amplia variedad de colores brillantes y distintivos.

Herbívoro

Este rasgo caracteriza a los organismos cuya dieta consiste total o principalmente en material vegetal.

Imán para polinizadores

Describe plantas que son particularmente atractivas y beneficiosas para una amplia variedad de organismos polinizadores.

Diurno

Los animales diurnos están activos principalmente durante el día y suelen descansar o dormir por la noche.

Miniatura

Relativo a especies que son significativamente más pequeñas que lo típico o promedio de su tipo.

Adaptado a la ciudad

Esta característica de hábitat indica especies que pueden coexistir con los humanos en entornos urbanos y suburbanos, utilizando estructuras artificiales y espacios verdes.