Diving ktyr. What we didn't know about the big predatory fly

The order of Diptera surprises with the variety of representatives. A close relative of the common fly is the ktyr, a ruthless hunter of small and medium-sized insects. A strong body, strong limbs with spikes, a tough proboscis and poison - nature has armed the predator with all this. The moth fly lives all over the world, excluding Antarctica. The exterminator of annoying insects provides a great service to people. But the widespread use of insecticides threatens the existence of beneficial species, some of which are included in the Red Book.

Description

The giant moth is a fairly large dipterous insect up to 50 mm long. The body is slender, oblong, with a cylindrical abdomen, covered with gray pollen. The wings are transparent, sometimes slightly brownish. The head is large, almost spherical, with large, convex compound eyes. The legs are long, with sharp spines at the ends, covered with hairs and black bristles.

Fly larvae

But people sometimes don’t even remember about the most terrible insect, which is a genus of flies, and maybe they don’t even know at all. Someone heard it, but did not attach any importance to it, although this should not be forgotten, even in the most secluded corner of the earth. After all, this terrible insect called a fly, the product of evil itself, is a real killer and cannibal. A terrible death awaits anyone who ever falls into the clutches of this insidious creature.

BotFly translates as Fly Larva , although it belongs to the same Gadfly family, but is divided into many varieties. Some insects adapt to animals, where they begin their deadly reproduction.

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For example, Horse Stomach Bot Fly, a horse-eating fly, lays its parasitic eggs in pastures where herds of horses graze.

Bays and blacks swallow these eggs along with food, thereby becoming a living incubator for these creatures. Having penetrated the animal, the larvae begin to build nests right in the stomach and intestines of the poor horse, they feed intensively and grow, making and gnawing passages into other organs. Unhappy animals usually get sick and die. When the time comes for a fat and well-fed larva to become a fly, they crawl out and give birth to monsters.

Nutrition and lifestyle

Insects appear in early summer. Active in light and warm weather. Adults lead a predatory lifestyle, feeding on various insects, including harmful ones. Very aggressive, often attacking bees, wasps and other well-armed insects.

Ktyri are unusually voracious and constantly hunt. To do this, the insect chooses an observation point in the form of a lonely tree and, seeing the victim, instantly catches up with it, and then pierces the shell with its proboscis and injects poisonous saliva into the victim’s body, after which it instantly dies, and the insect can only suck out the contents. For humans, the pain from an insect sting is not inferior in severity to that of a bee. They rarely spend more than 3-5 minutes in a motionless state; they can often hunt on the fly.

Insect larvae are predators; they live in the soil and prey on the larvae of other insects. They can tolerate prolonged fasting, but in case of successful hunting they quickly gain weight. Due to the plowing of land and the use of pesticides, ktyr is quite rare and is listed in the Red Book of various states and regions.

Lifestyle

The insect ktyr is known for the habits of an aggressive predator. It feeds on small insects, which it lies in wait for and catches in flight. The fly, called the robber and murderer, can rarely be found carelessly sitting on a branch. If she is not in flight, then she chooses her next victim. The predator's diet includes many types of insects:

• flies;
• dragonflies;
• grasshoppers;
• beetles;
• wasps and bees;
• butterflies.

Ktyr prefers dry places and settles in steppes and meadows. Rarely flies into parks and gardens. Having noticed the prey, he rushes after it. The insect has no chance of escaping from a swift attack. The ktyr kills the caught victim with poison. Its proboscis wounds like a stiletto, and its salivary glands release a potent poison that instantly kills its prey. It contains substances that break down the insides of insects.

The predator can only suck out the nutritious cocktail with its proboscis. Large eyes are also invaluable when searching for food and observing enemies. Predatory birds are divided into several groups depending on hunting areas. They are found everywhere - above the ground, in the grass, above the grass, in the trees.

Attention. A caught roach is very aggressive and can bite a person. The sting of its proboscis is comparable to the sting of a bee.

Reproduction

After fertilization, females lay light-colored eggs up to 2 mm in size. In soil-laying species, the ovipositor has spines and bristles. Females place eggs in various places - on low plants, in crevices of the bark, cracks in the soil. The top of the masonry is covered with special mealy secretions. The larva is white or yellowish, elongated. In the front part of the body there are mandibles (jaws) in the form of hooks. The larva develops in the soil and feeds on rotting organic matter. This is where she pupates.

Habitats

The tsetse fly is widespread in Africa. The habitat of obligate parasites includes countries located south of the Sahara Desert.

The tsetse fly lives in 37 countries, most of which are the poorest in the world. Due to the extremely low social level of the states, the authorities are unable to use chemicals against parasites and provide the population with medications that could save the population from death.

Tsetse flies, which carry a dangerous disease, are common in areas of the African continent that are free from people and have the status of wildlife reserves.

It should be noted that it is the peculiarities of the habitat of insects dangerous to humans that prevent people from developing fertile land.

Video

WORLD OF INSECTS - FLIES: Tsetse FLY

Struggle

Dealing with the cherry fly is not easy. Even if you show maximum responsibility, much will depend on your neighbors who grow stone fruit trees.

Bright yellow-orange pupae are easy to detect in tree trunk circles at a depth of about 7 cm. To get rid of most pests, it is enough to dig up the soil in the crown projection in the spring and manually collect all the discovered pupae. Experienced summer residents advise repeating the procedure at least 2-3 times throughout the warm season.

The final autumn digging will help to finally consolidate the result. An alarmed pest that suddenly finds itself near the surface will be absolutely defenseless against the approaching cold weather. Almost everything that you miss when picking by hand will be killed by frost.

If only a few pests infest your area, hang traps with kvass, compote or honey water from the branches of stone fruit crops, which have already become acidic and have begun to ferment. Cherry flies will not be able to resist the heady aroma of fragrant mash, just like cats will not be able to resist valerian. The pest will land directly “on the water” and drown “without leaving the cash register.”

For one mature tree you will need to install about 5 traps in different parts of it. Periodically, the traps will need to be cleaned and the syrup inside them renewed.

For a more radical method of control, gardeners use tobacco infusion. For 10 liters of water take about 500 g of tobacco dust. The composition should be infused for 2 days, after which it is filtered, 50 g of grated household oil or 3 tbsp are added. l. liquid soap to ensure better adhesion. They treat both the crown itself and the soil underneath it.

Well, if the pest is “on the rampage”, you will have to resort to special products sold in specialized stores - “Aktara”, “VE”, “Iskra”, “Fufanon”. The treatment is carried out in 2 stages, following the instructions, at intervals of 2 weeks.

About the housefly: who is it?

In general, the term “housefly” can be viewed in two ways, approaching it both from the position of an ordinary person who is faced with hordes of nasty insects every summer, and from the position of a biological researcher. The views will be radically different:

• From a biological point of view. The housefly is a separate species with its own description. Lives in close proximity to humans and is a constant neighbor throughout the summer. The house fly is large, but not the largest, and dark gray in color. It has a soft proboscis with which it cannot bite. Its feeding apparatus is a sucking type, designed to absorb liquid food. They are often called “sewer flies” for their special love for sewage.
• From a layman's point of view. Housefly (housefly) is any two-winged insect that lives in a human home. After all, no one will take a closer look at who exactly is in front of him: a melon fly, a cherry fly, a raspberry fly, or some other one. If it flies and lives at home, it means it is indoor. This approach is also correct, because an ordinary person will not delve into the various types of flies, of which there are about one and a half hundred species.

But today we will change our view and try to understand the diverse and interesting world of these insects.

How to get rid of hoverflies?

• chemicals;
• folk ways.

The control method is selected depending on the number of pests.

Chemicals

If larvae are noticed in the garden bed, they must be promptly disposed of. You can find a huge amount of products in stores. The most popular are:

• "Tiofos";
• "Heptahtor";
• "Fly-eater";
• "Inta-Vir";
• "Tabazol".

Important: when choosing this or that product, you need to study the instructions, otherwise you can destroy not only the larvae, but also the crop

Folk remedies

If there are not yet many larvae in the garden or flowers, you can use traditional methods:

1. Water the garden bed with ammonia solution. 5 tablespoons of the substance are added to 10 liters of water.
2. Sprinkle the beds with wood ash. You can also use tobacco powder.
3. After harvesting, treat the soil with copper sulfate.
4. Remove damaged plants and then burn them.
5. The hoverfly does not like the smell of carrots, so it needs to be sown next to the onion bed.
6. Treat the soil with urea. Add 1 tablespoon of the substance to a ten-liter bucket. One liter of solution is enough per square meter of land.

Why is the tsetse fly dangerous? Sleeping sickness: symptoms, treatment

Tsetse fly bite

The tsetse fly is incredibly dangerous not only for animals, but also for people. She is a carrier of deadly parasites - trypanosomes and nagana. Glossina palpalis is considered the most dangerous species; it is most often the carrier of African trypanosomiasis, better known as sleeping sickness.

Parasites enter the body of a fly when it drinks the blood of a sick animal, then they multiply in the stomach and enter the salivary glands of the proboscis. It takes an average of 18 days for the parasite to develop, the exact period depends on the air temperature.

When a fly infected with parasites bites an animal or person, it transmits trypanosomes in its saliva, which enter the victim's blood.

Symptoms of revolver in animals

Once an animal is bitten by an infected tsetse fly, it may develop Nagana disease.

In animals, the symptoms of revolver occur as follows:

• performance decreases;
• the number of spontaneous abortions is increasing;
• milk and meat production decreases;
• annual mortality - up to three million heads.

Cattle, pigs and horses are at risk.

You can protect animals from this terrible disease by making a vaccine against trypanosomiasis. But the problem is that not all farmers have the opportunity to vaccinate thousands of heads of livestock.

Sleeping sickness symptoms

The causative agent of sleeping sickness is trypanosome, a single-celled protozoan measuring 20-30 microns. You can become infected with sleeping sickness only through an insect bite.

Sleeping sickness affects the nervous and immune systems.

When infected, a lump appears at the site of the victim’s bite, which causes pain when pressed. The diameter of this swelling is about 1-2 cm.

Main symptoms of sleeping sickness:

• increased temperature or fever;
• joint pain;
• sleep disturbance;
• numbness of hands and feet;
• problems with coordination;
• confused consciousness.

Chancres, similar to boils, appear on a person’s hands or feet. After a few weeks, they heal, leaving only scars on the skin. Afterwards, headache and fever begin, and if treatment is not started, trypanosomes attack the brain.

Types of sleeping sickness

There are two types of trypanosomiasis: African and Latin American.

African is divided into two more types:

• West African (Gambian) sleeping sickness.

This disease progresses slowly and for a long time. It is carried by Glossina palpalis. The disease is divided into two periods, the first lasts from 1 to 5 years. At this stage, a person suffers from headaches, fever, erythematous rashes, and enlarged occipital lymph nodes. The latent course of the disease, without any acute symptoms, leads to the disease becoming advanced.

The second stage is more acute: the patient’s limbs begin to tremble, severe drowsiness appears, paralysis is possible, the nervous system begins to collapse, and mental disorders appear. The second stage lasts about 7-8 months.

• Eastern (Rhodesian) sleeping sickness.

This type of disease progresses quickly and is characterized by pronounced symptoms. The vector of the disease is Glossina morsitans. This type of sleeping sickness affects the brain and heart and leads to death after six months.

Treatment of sleeping sickness

Tsetse fly bite

To diagnose the disease, a blood and lymph node fluid test is performed. If it is possible to identify the first stage of the disease, when the nervous system is not affected, then the treatment is quite quick and effective.

There are special drugs that can destroy parasites: pentamidine and suramin.

Treatment of the disease in the second stage is much more difficult. Doctors use potent drugs (for example, melarsoprol), which have many side effects, including nausea, increased blood pressure, arrhythmia, etc. The difficulty of treatment lies in the fact that the protozoan parasite constantly mutates and becomes resistant to drugs.

There are about 70 million people in Africa who can become infected with sleeping sickness at any time. The risk zone also includes tourists coming to this exotic continent.

If you suddenly have even the slightest suspicion of a tsetse fly bite, you should immediately go to the hospital. Timely detection of the disease gives a high chance of complete recovery without any complications.

Before traveling to Africa, tourists are advised to get a pentamidine vaccine. You should also remember about safety precautions: wear white, wear a net over your face and apply repellent.

How to get rid of hoverflies?

• chemicals;
• folk ways.

The control method is selected depending on the number of pests.

Chemicals

If larvae are noticed in the garden bed, they must be promptly disposed of. You can find a huge amount of products in stores. The most popular are:

• "Tiofos";
• "Heptahtor";
• "Fly-eater";
• "Inta-Vir";
• "Tabazol".

Important: when choosing this or that product, you need to study the instructions, otherwise you can destroy not only the larvae, but also the crop

Folk remedies

If there are not yet many larvae in the garden or flowers, you can use traditional methods:

1. Water the garden bed with ammonia solution. 5 tablespoons of the substance are added to 10 liters of water.
2. Sprinkle the beds with wood ash. You can also use tobacco powder.
3. After harvesting, treat the soil with copper sulfate.
4. Remove damaged plants and then burn them.
5. The hoverfly does not like the smell of carrots, so it needs to be sown next to the onion bed.
6. Treat the soil with urea. Add 1 tablespoon of the substance to a ten-liter bucket. One liter of solution is enough per square meter of land.

What does it look like

The structure of the tsetse fly, classified as a member of the order Diptera, includes three main sections: thorax, abdomen, and head. The size of the insect varies from nine to fourteen millimeters.

The tsetse fly looks like this: reddish-gray color, the presence of four longitudinal stripes of a dark shade on the back.

Features of the appearance of an obligate parasite are called:

• A forward-facing proboscis that is strong enough to pierce the hides of cattle.
• The transparent wings have a pattern that can be compared to the outline of a hatchet.
• The antennae have forked hairs.
• At rest, the wings of an insect are folded on top of each other on its back.

This insect, which provokes the development of sleeping sickness, is capable of drinking a volume of blood equal to its own weight.

An interesting feature: the reproductive organs of females are large in size, which allows them to accommodate a larva that is in the third stage of development.

The role of hoverflies in nature

People usually have a negative attitude towards flies as carriers of infection, but this does not apply to hoverflies. Striped flies not only mimic stinging insects, they perform the same functions in nature as bees: they pollinate flowers. If bees become extinct in the world, hoverflies could take over the “responsibilities” of pollinating plants.

All flies require large amounts of protein to reproduce. Most species have taken the path of consuming blood or eating animal flesh. The hoverfly is a convinced vegetarian. Male and female hoverflies feed on nectar and pollen. The latter is a good source of protein, but as food it is difficult for flies. Therefore, except for hoverflies, few dipterans are tempted by flowers.

Prevention

The incidence of sleeping sickness has decreased significantly in recent years, which is associated with increased prevention. They try to avoid tsetse habitats and dangerous areas - tropical bushes, agricultural areas.

If flies bother you in the house, insect repellents are used, and they act on individuals of various species. Methods to combat tsetse include treating clothing with permethrin. You can get rid of insects that traditionally settle in the house in more accessible ways. A reliable means of repelling flies is vinegar traps. Wine is used instead of vinegar.

If a biting fly ignores sticky tape and light traps, essential oils will help. The aromas of cloves, basil, and lavender can drive a fly out of the room. And regular cleaning is considered a reliable way to get rid of flies in an apartment. If the room is clean, the floors are washed, the drains are cleared, and there are no food residues, then the insects will be uncomfortable in the house.

Dear readers of the 1MedHelp website, if you still have questions on this topic, we will be happy to answer them. Leave your reviews, comments, share stories of how you experienced a similar trauma and successfully dealt with the consequences! Your life experience may be useful to other readers.

Other varieties

This insect can hardly be called a real fly. It is a flyer, but as soon as it hits its victim, it sheds its wings and lives like a flea, feeding on its blood. Despite its name, it can affect a fox, a wild boar, some species of birds, or a person unlucky enough to stumble upon it in the forest.

Another common species is horseflies. Although they are found in large quantities in forest areas and lake shores. This name also unites several species, but they are distinguished from ordinary houseflies by their large size and the possibility of having cutting edges in the proboscis area, with which they can bite painfully. They are often carriers of anthrax, tularemia and other diseases. Their males feed on plant pollen, while they themselves fly in search of blood.

Each type of fly has its own characteristics, by becoming familiar with what they are, you can free yourself from stereotypes and be prepared for all the unpleasant surprises that they can bring both at home and while traveling.

Homemade traps

A person often uses his ingenuity to achieve certain goals. The fight against insects was no exception. Annoying flies can make even the calmest person angry. To kill insects, especially enterprising people make homemade traps.

Trap made from a plastic bottle

Trap made from a plastic bottle
To make a homemade product, you will need a regular plastic bottle with a volume of 1 or 1.5 liters, scissors or a knife, any sweet filling, and tape.

1. The top part of the bottle is cut off at a distance of 7-8 cm from the edge of the neck.
2. Bait is placed at the bottom of the resulting container: jam, honey, syrup.
3. The cut off funnel-shaped neck is inserted into the container, neck down.
4. The wide edge of the funnel and the top edge of the container are fixed with tape or tape.

On a note!

The narrow edge of the neck should not touch the sweet filling. Flies should not get the sweetness without flying inside the bottle.

Such a fly trap made from a plastic bottle can also catch other insects with a sweet tooth: wasps, bees, midges. A simple and affordable method of making a trap allows you to throw it away if there is a large accumulation of insects inside and make a new one.

Flycatcher from a glass

You can make a fly trap from a regular glass or plastic cup and transparent cling film. Place a teaspoon of honey or jam at the bottom of the glass. Cover the glass with cling film and pull it tightly, securing the edges of the film with tape. Make 2-3 holes in the film so that the insect can get inside the glass. You can make several of these homemade items and place them throughout the house.

Glass jar trap

In places where large flies accumulate, you need more serious bait - spoiled meat or fruit. They have a strong strong odor and will attract more flying gnats.

1. A liter glass jar with a wide neck is used as a container.
2. Several pieces of bait are placed inside.
3. A wide funnel is placed on top with the narrow neck down.
4. The edges of the container and the wide edges of the funnel are secured together with electrical tape or wide mounting tape for structural reliability.

On a note!

The strong smell of rotten vegetables, fruits or meat will be very unpleasant for household members and interesting for cats and dogs. Therefore, it is recommended to use such a flytrap to catch flies on open verandas and place it in places inaccessible to animals.

Instead of a glass container, you can use a thick plastic container with a wide neck. The main condition for a reliable flytrap is the absence of gaps between the funnel and the jar. Otherwise the flies may crawl out. Such traps are well suited for use in dachas if they are placed around the perimeter of the site.

Duct tape

Fly tape

One of the most popular fly traps is sticky tape. It is sold in any hardware store and costs from 20 to 50 rubles per piece. But if it is not possible to purchase the product in a store, you can do it at home. To do this, mix 1 tablespoon of rosin with a tablespoon of castor or linseed oil. Heat the resulting mixture in a water bath and stir for 5 minutes. Then add jam and cool. Apply the adhesive mass to long strips of thick paper and hang it in places where flies are common.

If you follow the recipe, homemade glue remains sticky for a long time and is able to reliably hold insects attracted by the smell of jam.

Peculiarities

Hover flies resemble menacing wasps and bees in appearance. Thus, the insect has adapted during evolution. Birds, seeing an insect with such coloring, do not try to “dinner” with such prey.

Hover flies are very interesting insects. In flight, their virtuosity is inimitable. The insect is capable of flying for a long time. They fly very fast. And at the same time, if necessary, they can freeze in one place.

Male hover flies are engaged in protecting “their” territory. They drive away other “claimants” to the territory by hovering in the air for a long time. The opponent, seeing that the area is occupied, flies to another place. Virtuoso fliers, hoverflies can remain in a state of flight for a long time. Insects can hover for a long time and then suddenly change direction of flight. Even the mating process is carried out by many individuals in flight.

The hoverfly's ability to stay in the air for a long time is due to the structural features of its wings. One pair of wings performs normal functions, the other pair has been deformed in the process of evolution, turning into club-shaped halteres. This organ helps the insect maintain balance and control the direction of flight.

In nature, there are several species of hoverflies. Distributed in:

• Europe;
• Central Asia;
• North America.

Sometimes these insects are found even in the subarctic zone.

Prevention and safety measures against flies

The basic rule of hygiene always comes first, which concerns not only hand washing, but also the proper handling of food before eating it.

It is important to keep household items and utensils in proper condition. If food remains on the table in the summer, it must be covered with a special lid, mesh, or placed in an airtight container. If flies enter the house, it is necessary to carry out special treatment using repellents

If an egg laying site is discovered, it must be thoroughly treated with chlorine-containing agents and chemical aerosols against these insects.

If flies enter the house, it is necessary to carry out special treatment using repellents. If an egg laying site is discovered, it must be thoroughly treated with chlorine-containing agents and chemical aerosols against these insects.

It is necessary to take care of the area where the garbage container is located - this area must be kept clean. Outdoor toilets must be equipped with special outlets for water flushing and basic cleaning of the premises. For barns and other premises intended for keeping livestock, there are special traps for winged pests. These are sticky tapes, hanging feeders with a sticky bottom that catch insects.

Follow basic hygiene rules, concentrate on the condition of products and methods of storing them, carry out the necessary treatment of premises from harmful arthropods - all this will help protect your home and the people living in it from discomfort and the danger of contracting infectious diseases. Wasps are famous for their bright colors, aggressive behavior, love of sweet foods and painful stings. However, in nature there is an insect similar to a wasp, the characteristics of which are exactly the opposite

The only thing that connects him with the stinging creature is his appearance. Otherwise, it is a completely harmless and peaceful creation.

However, in nature there is an insect similar to a wasp, the characteristics of which are exactly the opposite. The only thing that connects him with the stinging creature is his appearance. Otherwise, it is a completely harmless and peaceful creation.

Wasps are famous for their bright colors, aggressive behavior, love of sweet foods and painful stings. However, in nature there is an insect similar to a wasp, the characteristics of which are exactly the opposite. The only thing that connects him with the stinging creature is his appearance. Otherwise, it is a completely harmless and peaceful creation.

What is the difference between the visual apparatus of these insects?

According to the journal Current Biology, these predators are able to continuously track prey and capture it with 100% accuracy. It is noteworthy that the retina of the eyes of dragonflies has less spatial resolution than that of dragonflies, but bloodthirsty flies see much better than them.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge compare these insects to warplanes, so accurately do they target the victim, leaving it no chance of survival. The larger the fly, the sharper its vision and the more dangerous it is.

Ktyr's eyes in macro photography

The eyes of ktyres consist of microscopic ommatidia - elements that are miniature segments with lenses, as well as cells that perceive light. Ommatidia are small and large. The former are responsible for a lightning-fast reaction to movement, the latter for the accuracy and clarity of the image display. These flies can perfectly see the prey at a distance of 0.5 m, which is disproportionately large for their body size (from 5 mm in temperate latitudes and up to 8 cm in the tropics). To understand the relationship between the size of flies and the distance at which they see other insects, imagine that a person is observing an object from 1.5 km away. Targeting occurs instantly, a split second is enough for this.

Types of hoverflies

The most common types of hoverflies that can be found in our gardens are useful, and only the onion one is an undoubted pest. Below are examples of the most common flies of this family:

1. Onion, in Latin "Delia antique", has a size of up to a centimeter in length. The eggs laid in the axils of the leaves hatch into larvae that damage the bulbs, causing them to rot.
2. Aquatic hoverflies, or "Eristalis", feed near stagnant water in small natural pools and marshes. The proboscis on their body, like a diver's breathing tube, helps them breathe under the surface of the water.
3. The common hoverfly is a flower fly that reaches twelve millimeters in length. Its larva can eat up to two hundred aphids per day. The common hoverfly is an excellent pollinator. The camera captured her on clover
4. The wasp fly is most similar to a wasp, hence its name. Its larvae feed mainly on rotten wood, and the adult grows up to eighteen millimeters in length.
5. The hoverfly is a little smaller, only one and a half centimeters long, has a darker color and, as its name suggests, resembles a bee.

Vulnerability of plant predators

The life led by a flower that eats flies is not so simple in itself. An insect that is not grabbed very well and tightly is quite capable of escaping from the trap. And even if it dies later, the plant predator will remain hungry. Plus the realities of civilization: in the modern world, it is precisely those qualities that have been developed over millennia that can destroy flowers that eat flies. Nitrogen fertilizers washed away from fields and discharges from power plants oversaturate the swamp soil with nitrogen, which kills plant predators. The second threat from which they cannot protect themselves is poaching. The increased demand for carnivorous plants in recent years has encouraged adventurers to seek out wild Venus flytraps and sell them almost on the side of the road. Those copies that remain “in the hands” of sellers are indifferently thrown away. In addition to all these troubles, the result of land development is the disappearance of the habitat of predator flowers. So, it is quite possible that in the next half century they will remain only in greenhouses and home collections.

The benefits and harms of hoverflies

Hoverflies, depending on the species, can be either beneficial or harmful insects for agriculture. Predatory wasps, along with ladybugs and lacewings, are protectors of fruit trees, berries and ornamental bushes from harmful aphids. In mountainous areas, beekeepers replace bees, pollinating crops and increasing their productivity.

On a summer day, you can find insects on flowers that look a little like wasps or bees, but have only two rather than four wings. If you startle them, they do not immediately fly away, but first hover in the air above the flower. These are flies from the hoverfly

(lat. Syrphidae), masquerading as dangerous insects that can stand up for themselves - wasps and bees.

It is believed that the name “hoverfly” was given to them for the characteristic sound of their wings made while hovering in the air, somewhat reminiscent of the quiet murmur of water. In general, hoverflies are virtuoso flyers. They are capable of fast, impetuous, long flight, and some of them are capable of long loitering, “standing” in one place. Moreover, the male hoverfly protects its territory by hovering in the air for a long time and driving away other males. Even mating in many hoverflies occurs in flight. They owe these features to the structure of their wings. The second pair of wings is reduced to club-shaped halteres, which act as balance organs and provide the flies with excellent control in flight.

Adult hoverflies feed on pollen and nectar, occupying one of the leading positions among pollinating insects. The sugar contained in the nectar provides the flies with energy, and the pollen serves as a source of proteins necessary for the maturation of eggs. Hoverflies can be found in large numbers on flowers of Umbelliferae and Asteraceae. Flies actively visit flowers of meadow herbs, berry and fruit trees and bushes (rowan, viburnum, hawthorn, currant, etc.). At the same time, hoverfly larvae have more varied feeding methods. Some species develop in water, others destroy dead wood, there are inhabitants of anthills, the most common species live in aphid colonies.

Many hoverflies resemble wasps, bees and bumblebees in body shape, pubescence, color and behavior. Their abdomen is yellow with black stripes or black with yellow spots. It can be difficult for an inexperienced observer to distinguish hoverflies from bees and wasps, since their colors and movements perfectly imitate stinging Hymenoptera. They are harmless, but birds prefer not to touch them, mistaking them for dangerous creatures.

Many people have at least once in their lives seen a fly that visually resembles a bee or wasp. It differs from those of insects in its behavior. It is called the hoverfly. Insect larvae can be useful to humans. In the article we will consider the characteristics, behavioral features of the “pest” and methods of control.

There are about 6,000 species of hoverflies in nature, 800 of which live in the territory of the former USSR. In the adult state, the insect has a length from 4 to 25 mm. Body color is yellow-black. Externally, insects look like wasps. Thanks to its color and shape, the fly scares away enemies.

Important: mimicry is a natural property of animals that allows them to camouflage themselves by “taking on” the appearance of others. The female is capable of laying up to 200 eggs

It all depends on weather conditions and temperature conditions. Mucha places them on:

The female is capable of laying up to 200 eggs. It all depends on weather conditions and temperature conditions. Mucha places them on:

• grass;
• plant stems;
• on buds and trees.

The location of the eggs directly depends on the type of insect. On the 5th day, larvae are born. Outwardly, they resemble maggots - the offspring of blowflies. The larvae feed depending on the species:

• dead plant tissue;
• detritus;
• aphids;
• bulbs (mostly flowers).

The larvae of some hoverflies are beneficial to humans. Therefore, before fighting them, it is recommended to carefully study the insects.