Identifying natural enemies
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About Hover fly or Syrphid fly - Syrphidae |
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| Adults: Resemble bees. Abdomen usually has black and yellow stripes. Adults often hover over flowers (hence the common name “hover flies” or “flower flies”). Length 4-25 mm. | Eggs: Small (1 mm in length). Cylindrical, white and laid singly on leaves or shoots near aphid colonies. | Larvae (maggots): Creamy-white to green or brown. Worm-like, lacking legs. Narrow toward the head with a pair of respiratory tubes projecting at the rear end. Distinctive markings, stripes or spines often seen from the dorsal view. |
| Pupae: Green, tan or brown. Typically pear-shaped with a pair of respiratory tubes projecting at the rear end. May pupate on plants or drop from plants and pupate in the soil. (Pictured right) |  |
Diet: Larvae of many species eat aphids or other soft-bodied insects. Adults feed on nectar and pollen. |
| Back to flies | ||
| This information was developed for the publication Identifying Natural Enemies in Field Crops by Mary Gardiner, Christina DiFonzo, Michael Brewer and Takuji Noma, MSU Extension bulletin E2949. | ||
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