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HandWiki. Hoverfly. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/34783 (accessed on 10 September 2026).
HandWiki. Hoverfly. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/34783. Accessed September 10, 2026.
HandWiki. "Hoverfly" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/34783 (accessed September 10, 2026).
HandWiki. (2022, November 16). Hoverfly. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/34783
HandWiki. "Hoverfly." Encyclopedia. Web. 16 November, 2022.
Hoverfly
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The content is sourced from: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biology:Hoverfly

Hoverflies, also 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. Insects such as aphids are considered a crop pest, and therefore the aphid-eating larvae of some hover flies serve as an economically (as well as ecologically) important predator and even potential agents for use in biological control, while the adults may be 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 mammals, though many species are mimics of stinging wasps and bees, a mimicry which may serve to ward off predators.

hoverflies mimicry antarctica

References

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