Mimicry is the external similarity between different species of living beings that belong to different genera, families and orders. This is well illustrated by the hoverfly fly.
Outwardly, it is very similar to a wasp, so its other name is the wasp fly or syrphid (lat. Syrphidae). They belong to the order Diptera. These insects are widespread throughout the globe.
How to attract a hovering fly to your site
Because adult hover flies feed on pollen and nectar, planting flowering plants in your area or between crops will attract them and increase the likelihood that they will lay their eggs on infested plants.
We recommend planting plants such as: alisum, aster, coreopsis, daisies, dill, fennel, lavender, marigolds, mint, statice, sunflower, wild mustard and zinnia.
Try to keep plants rich in nectar and pollen always blooming in your area from spring to autumn.
The use of insecticides and other chemicals, especially broad-spectrum ones, should be avoided whenever possible.
Lifestyle, nutrition, reproduction
Adult insects are very maneuverable and can change direction to the exact opposite very abruptly. Thanks to the rapid movement of its wings, the fly often hovers in one place and seems to hover in the air above the flowers, as if choosing which one has the most delicacy.
The larvae are voracious, and the older they get, the more and more actively they eat. They feed mainly on small insect pests - caterpillars, psyllids, spider mites, small butterflies and aphids. They literally suck the latter alive. One syrphid larva can suck up to 200 aphids in one day, and one can imagine how a whole brood of such larvae will benefit the garden. It is on plants affected by aphids that one can often notice a cluster of syrphid larvae. In addition, the larvae can be localized in the nests of other insects, rotten rotting wood, and on large plants.
In the larval stage, flies hoverflies and overwinter. In the spring, pupae appear from them, and by the end of June, young adults appear, starting their years already in July.
During the period of courtship with females, males hover in the air above them and make a sound similar to gurgling. A similar, but slightly different sound can be heard from syrphids at other times, hence their popular name - hoverflies. Mating of these flies can occur right in the air. Also, while hovering, males protect their territory, driving away rivals.
After a while, the fertilized female lays eggs directly on the fruit trees. At one time she can lay 150-200 eggs. The emerging larvae become good crop fighters, destroying harmful insects. Therefore, in order for hoverflies to choose a garden or vegetable garden, they need more umbrella and flowering plants (both cultivated and wild), then there is a chance to acquire such useful neighbors for a permanent time.
Harm and benefits of beeweed
By feeding on pests such as aphids, hoverfly larvae protect fruit trees or shrubs from such parasites. And if they live in mountainous areas where the number of bees is reduced, then syrphids provide a great service to people. They actively pollinate flowering crops, significantly increasing their yield.
On the other hand, some species of wasp flies cause serious damage to bulb crops. Gardeners and flower growers suffer from the larvae of such insects when they damage onions, garlic or bulbs of tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth. Damaged plants slow down their growth and often wither. And harvested onions or garlic, which have been attacked by syrphids, are stored very little and quickly rot.
Life cycle and habitat
Like other flies, soaring flies go through all stages of insect life: egg, larva, pupa, imago (adult).
The life cycle of different species varies and depends on environmental conditions and the availability of food. Under optimal conditions, single white eggs are laid on leaves infested by pests or other suitable food sources. After hatching, approximately 3 days later, the larvae develop into 3 stages of growth into a pupa. If the pupa does not remain for the winter, adults emerge after 1-2 weeks. Up to seven generations can be born within a year.
Stages of development of the syrphid fly.
Water cycle of larval life
Some have adapted to aquatic life in dirty water (including stagnant water) by eating all types of decaying materials. In order to breathe, they expose a long tube at the rear end of their body to the surface of the water. Examples include rat-tail grubs (about 40 species).
Predatory larvae of the murmuring fly
Other larvae hunt for plant lice or aphids. More than a third of hovering flies have aphid-eating larvae (more than 110 species).
Carrion larvae
Some hover fly larvae live in rotting wood, or places where sap flows randomly from living trees (33 species).
Larvae pests of garden plants
Some larvae are agricultural pests, eating roots, stems, and the inside of flower bulbs (about 30 species).
A unique and secretive type of larvae that lives with ants
The larva of the hovering fly Doros profuges lives in the nests of the ant Lasius fuliginosus (Woodborer). There is no reliable information, but one guess is that the larvae either feed on root aphids that have been driven off by the ants, or receive some other benefit from living in their nest.
*if you have any thoughts, write your guess in the comments.
Danger and harm of bee fly larvae
Eristalis tenax, or milkweeds, are the larvae of the bee fly that live at the bottom of small and dirty ponds and lakes, puddles, and farm wastewater. To breathe, they float to the surface of the water and put out a long tube, which reaches up to 27 cm and is capable of decreasing and increasing. Because of their resemblance to the tail, beekeeper larvae are called rats.
An herb that looks like parsley - what is it?
The adult that hatches from the larva is the eristalia fly. It flies out in the autumn season and feeds on flower nectar.
In appearance and color it resembles a bee. The bee fly larva has an undeveloped head and no eyes. The underdeveloped mouth is covered with a fold. There are no legs, but growths are visible at the bottom of the body. The rat has 7 pairs of false legs: 6 on the abdomen and 1 on the chest. Thanks to them, the fly crawls. A two-centimeter cylinder with a long tube at the end, which allows it to live in polluted or oxygen-free waters.
When it’s time for pupation, the bee crawls out to the coast. It transforms into a pupa inside the larval skin.
A couple of centuries ago there was an opinion that bees were born from carrion. The reason for the myth was a rat that can live in rotten liquid and turn into a wasp fly.
Note! The rat signals water pollution. If rats appear in a pond, it is better to avoid swimming in dirty water.
The entry of bee larvae into the human body gives rise to accidental intestinal myiasis. Infection occurs when eggs of the pathogen are swallowed with food or eggs are laid by a fly in the anus, from where the larvae make their way into the rectum.
Bee fly larvae
Symptoms, diagnosis, therapy
Maturation of larvae in the intestines leads to the development of enteritis.
Its manifestations:
- abdominal pain and diarrhea;
- nausea and anal itching;
- insomnia and dizziness;
- lethargy.
Sometimes the disease is asymptomatic.
The disease is diagnosed through laboratory tests of stool. Treat with laxatives, metronidazole, nifuroxazide.
Eristalis tenax larvae can cause genitourinary myiasis or vulvar myiasis.
Pathology is registered in:
- Africa and India;
- Argentina and Iran;
- Australia and Chile;
- Brazil and European countries (Spain, Belgium, Denmark).
Hoverflies, or syrphids, can easily be confused with their stinging counterparts: a bee or a wasp. They are an important component of the biosphere. Flies clear the planet of plant debris and are unsafe for humans.
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Life cycle and habitat
Like other flies, soaring flies go through all stages of insect life: egg, larva, pupa, imago (adult).
The life cycle of different species varies and depends on environmental conditions and the availability of food. Under optimal conditions, single white eggs are laid on leaves infested by pests or other suitable food sources. After hatching, approximately 3 days later, the larvae develop into 3 stages of growth into a pupa. If the pupa does not remain for the winter, adults emerge after 1-2 weeks. Up to seven generations can be born within a year.
Stages of development of the syrphid fly.
Water cycle of larval life
Some have adapted to aquatic life in dirty water (including stagnant water) by eating all types of decaying materials. In order to breathe, they expose a long tube at the rear end of their body to the surface of the water. Examples include rat-tail grubs (about 40 species).
Predatory larvae of the murmuring fly
Other larvae hunt for plant lice or aphids. More than a third of hovering flies have aphid-eating larvae (more than 110 species).
Carrion larvae
Some hover fly larvae live in rotting wood, or places where sap flows randomly from living trees (33 species).
Larvae pests of garden plants
Some larvae are agricultural pests, eating roots, stems, and the inside of flower bulbs (about 30 species).
A unique and secretive type of larvae that lives with ants
The larva of the hovering fly Doros profuges lives in the nests of the ant Lasius fuliginosus (Woodborer). There is no reliable information, but one guess is that the larvae either feed on root aphids that have been driven off by the ants, or receive some other benefit from living in their nest.
*if you have any thoughts, write your guess in the comments.
First aid rules for bites
In the event of a poisonous insect bite, the following actions must be taken:
- Rinse the bite area with cold water to remove any remaining poison, dust, or contaminants.
- Treat the insect bite with hydrogen peroxide, alcohol-containing liquid or iodine.
- Apply ice or a handkerchief soaked in vinegar.
- Take allergy pills Suprastin, Claritin.
- Drink plenty of water or a sweet drink throughout the day.
- Give access to fresh air.
There is no need to pick the wound and look for the sting; the wasp does not lose it.
If your health deteriorates, you should seek medical help, especially if the person has chronic diseases, asthma, or allergies.
When providing first aid you cannot:
- Drinking alcohol will only make the situation worse.
- Squeeze the venom out of the bite site to avoid introducing dirt and infection.
- To leave the victim in a state of shock, you need to raise your legs above your head and wait for help.
Harm from a murmuring fly
The daffodil fly, or the murmuring fly, causes great damage to the bulbs of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, gladioli, and the rhizomes of irises.
Before winter, larvae that have not gone through three stages of development are buried in the ground near bulbous plants and overwinter in the bulbs. They eat away the inside of the bulb, and if the plant does not die, then in the spring it grows extremely slowly and does not bloom.
The pest does not like peat, so one of the methods of plant protection is to mulch the planting with peat.
Infected plants can be watered with a solution of pine flour powder, and it is recommended to heat-treat the planting material during the washing and drying process.
What are the main characteristics
The place of insect development directly depends on the species. Some live in anthills and eat young individuals. The body of a representative can be slender or, on the contrary, massive. On average, adult individuals reach a length of 5-25mm. There are no hard hairs on the body that are characteristic of other flies. Small fluff is visible. The color is dark with yellow elongated spots.
The color resembles bees, bumblebees or wasps. The difference is that the hoverfly has only one pair of wings. The peculiar color is needed for protection from birds, which are afraid to attack the insect, suspecting the presence of a sting and poison.
Thanks to the specific structure of the wings, the insect is able to hang in the air in one place for a long time, and also abruptly change direction. Adult insects appear at the end of June. It is at this time that the fly emerges from the pupa.
The main characteristics depending on the stage of development are presented in the table.
| Caterpillars | The length of the caterpillar does not exceed 1 cm. The body color is white. Nutrition directly depends on the subspecies of the representative. |
| Doll | The pupa has the shape of a drop. In appearance it resembles amber. During wintering the color turns brown. In summer, the shell takes on a yellow tint. |
| Imago | Adult representatives have an elongated body. The color is dark, often black. |
The new generation hatches from eggs in August-September.
The pupa then hatches into a full-fledged fly.
What does a fly look like?
Everyone probably knows what this insect looks like, but it’s still worth looking at the presented photos of various flies.
The length of its body ranges from a millimeter level to two cm. The hairy body of the fly has two wings with membranes, a fairly voluminous head and a belly with three pairs of legs.
The mouth is designed like a proboscis that sucks in liquid food. The fly's legs have fairly developed sharp segments and sticky pads that allow it to stay upside down on any surface.
The insect's eyes are designed in a particularly unique way; they contain thousands of hexagonal crystals, which allows the fly to simultaneously see what is happening from absolutely any direction (even the background), that is, it has a circular field of vision. Whiskers are capable of detecting and recognizing many different scents.
How to get rid of hoverflies?
To preserve the harvest, you should get rid of the pest in a timely manner. Gardeners recommend using:
- 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:
- Water the garden bed with ammonia solution. 5 tablespoons of the substance are added to 10 liters of water.
- Sprinkle the beds with wood ash. You can also use tobacco powder.
- After harvesting, treat the soil with copper sulfate.
- Remove damaged plants and then burn them.
- The hoverfly does not like the smell of carrots, so it needs to be sown next to the onion bed.
- 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.
Important: folk methods have proven themselves over several decades
Fighting the onion hoverfly
The onion hoverfly is a harmful insect that must be gotten rid of in order to preserve the harvest. If adult insects fly over the beds, then most likely the onions are already infected with larvae. The main fight is against them, since the only harm from flies is that they lay eggs, and the main damage to plants is caused by the larvae that emerge from the eggs.
Onion hoverfly
Hoverfly family (Syrphidae)
Small or medium-sized flies (length 4-25 mm). Often black, with a metallic sheen of bronze, green or blue. Many other hoverflies are of a completely different color - with conspicuous yellow spots or bands. The shape and body color of such hoverflies are very similar to the color of many stinging Hymenoptera. Slightly pubescent forms resemble wasps, and hoverflies, covered with thick and long hairs, resemble bees and bumblebees. The similarity is further enhanced if the fly has long antennae, a stalked abdomen and a darkened anterior part of the wing.
There are about 6 thousand species in the world fauna, in Russia there are approximately 800 species. Flies feed on nectar and pollen; found in large numbers on flowering plants, especially umbrella plants. In terms of speed and maneuverability of flight, they occupy one of the first places in the world of insects. You can often observe how these flies hang motionless in the air for a long time, from time to time making rapid throws to the sides and just as instantly returning back. The larvae live in bodies of water of varying degrees of pollution (even drainage from livestock farms), in the nests of Hymenoptera, and in plant tissues; predatory forms live openly on plants, eating mainly aphids. They occupy one of the leading places among insect pollinators of plants. Herbivorous larvae, gnawing stems and bulbs, can harm cultivated plants.
Read: Buzz family (Bombyliidae)
On its abdomen there is a wide, light, almost transparent band. Body length 13-17 mm. The larvae of the transparent hoverfly develop in wasp nests, where they feed on the dead larvae of their hosts. Found almost everywhere.
Densely covered with hairs, this fly is very similar in color and pubescence to a bumblebee. The color is highly variable. Body length 11-15 mm. The larvae live in the nests of bumblebees and sometimes wasps, feeding on the larvae of the nest owners.
The lower part of the head of this fly, like all other species of this genus, is extended forward like a beak. Length 8-9 mm. The larvae develop in manure.
It resembles a bee in color and size (length 13-16 mm). Distributed everywhere (except for the Far North) and in some places found in large numbers. The larvae at the end of the abdomen have a very elongated and narrow respiratory tube, somewhat similar to a long tail, for which these and similar larvae of other species and genera of hoverflies received the name “rats.” They live in water, sometimes heavily polluted.
Read: Family of bloodsuckers (Hippoboscidae)
Body length 15-17 mm. Usually found in July-August, especially often on umbrella plants. The larvae live in damp dust in the hollows of deciduous trees.
This hoverfly has a very long abdomen, protruding beyond the ends of the wings for a considerable distance. Length 9-12 mm. The larvae live openly on plants, where they feed on aphids.
You might be interested in:
- Family Drosophilidae, or fruit flies (Drosophilidae)
- Lionfly family (Stratiomyidae)
- Family of carrion flies, or blue blowflies (Calliphoridae)
- Family true flies (Muscidae)
- Bighead family (Conopidae)
- Snipe family (Rhagionidae)
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Types of hoverflies
Depending on what food the hoverfly larvae eat, they are divided into the following varieties:
- predators (feed on small insects, spider mites);
- herbivores (they eat mainly plant bulbs);
- aquatic (organic residues in their diet);
- arboreal (prefer rotting wood).
Larva
The larvae of some striped flies, which are similar to wasps, eat animal excrement.
Water
Aquatic syrphids lay eggs in puddles, on the banks of reservoirs, and sometimes directly on the water. The larvae have long processes on their bodies that act as breathing tubes. Thanks to them, insects can breathe air while underwater. The larvae eat organic debris that they find on stones and other objects in the water. Adults, like other hoverflies, feed on nectar.
Beekeeper
The size of an adult beekeeper reaches 15 mm, the color is dark brown with yellowish spots. The female lays eggs near sewers, garbage pits, and muddy ponds.
The hatched larvae are dark gray, with an elongated cylindrical body and a long tail-like appendage at the end of the abdomen. Because of this, the oilseed larva is called a rat. In fact, this process is a breathing tube that helps the insect breathe clean air while in sewage.
Ordinary
The common hoverfly is also called the flower fly. It can most often be observed on a clear sunny day where umbelliferous plants (coriander, wild carrots, parsley, anise) grow. The fly feeds on the nectar of these plants and lays eggs on their leaves.
Small light green larvae look like leeches. They live openly on leaves, feeding mainly on aphids. At this stage, the insects are very voracious; one larva eats up to 200 aphids per day. The larva pupates directly on the leaf, forming a cocoon in the form of a drop of resin.
Onion
The onion hoverfly is a small (6 – 8 mm) fly with a greenish-olive or bronze body. This fly is a pest of bulbous crops. The females lay eggs on the plants, and the hatching larvae penetrate the bulb, damaging it.
Most often, the larvae crawl into bulbs that have already been damaged mechanically or by other insects. In addition, the larva can harm cucumbers and tomatoes by penetrating the pulp of the fruit.
Osovidnaya
Wasps are a type of arboreal syrphid. Their body structure and coloring are very similar to the common wasp. Body dimensions can reach 2 cm. The female lays eggs under the bark of trees, in cracks and hollows. The larvae feed mainly on rotting wood.
Appearance
Adult flies reach a length of 3 to 13 mm, depending on the species. The fly's body is black or brown with stripes (or dots) of white or yellow covering the abdomen and/or thorax. Adult hover flies resemble small wasps. Their yellow or white and black striped abdomens serve to ward off predators. However, they can be distinguished from wasps by their single pair of wings, with vestigial hind wings as balancing organs. Syrphid fly larvae are mucus-like caterpillars that are wrinkled and narrowed at the front. Their color can be pink, yellow, green or brown, and they range in size from 4 to 18 mm in length.
Male and female flies
Like many other flies, males and females often look the same, have the same coloring, size, etc. However, it is always easy to tell the males from the females. Like all other flies, males have large eyes that come together at the top of the head. Females have much smaller eyes and are located further apart. The tiny eyes or sockets are made up of individual cells and are located on the top of the head in a triangle between the large compound eyes.
Differences between female and male Soaring Fly.
A more intrusive method of determining the sex of a babbling fly is to look at the underside of the abdomen; males have bridled, asymmetrical genitalia. The female's belly is pointed with inconspicuous genitalia.
Fly - description and characteristics
The body length of a fly can be from a few millimeters to 2 cm. The insect has a pair of membranous wings, a rather large head, endowed with an oral organ - a proboscis, designed for sucking up liquid food. The fly's body consists of three parts: head, abdomen and chest, ending with three pairs of legs. Each leg of a fly is divided into five segments. One part is the foot, with two sharp claws and sticky pads. This feature allows the fly to quickly move along the ceiling and any vertical surfaces.
The eyes of a fly are a unique organ. Thanks to several thousand hexagonal facets, the fly has a circular field of vision, so its huge eyes can easily simultaneously see everything that happens to the side and even behind. The organ of smell is the antennae, which can recognize odors at great distances.
Mimicry
As already mentioned, syrphids are very similar in appearance to stinging insects - wasps, bees, bumblebees. The hoverflies seem to be camouflaged as them, and their striped black and yellow coloring helps them in this. But upon closer examination, you can notice the difference:
- syrphids have much shorter antennae (for example, a wasp has antennae up to 1 cm);
- they are smaller than wasps, bees, etc. (excluding especially large species);
- they have 1 pair of wings, while the stinging ones have 2.
But even with these minor differences, nothing prevents syrphids from feeling quite at ease and boldly in nature: their external imitation (mimicry, from the English word mimicry - disguise, imitation) of dangerous stinging insects is so believable that few birds risk attacking them, especially if you have already had a sad experience of contact with a wasp. But all this is despite the absolute harmlessness and even some defenselessness of the syrphids.
Nature has endowed these flies with such a coloring, thanks to which they may not be afraid of attacks from enemies. Hence several more popular names for hoverflies: bee-eater, wasp-fly, wasp fly, etc.
These nimble dipterous insects, whose body color resembles wasps, are easy to find in temperate latitudes. But, taking a closer look at the hoverfly (Diptera) from the family Syrphidae, you understand: this is a real fly. A predatory insect whose larva feeds on both plants and other pests.
Biologists know about six thousand species of syrphids. Most of them live in North America and Eurasia (with the exception of Central Asia). And two species are found even in the subarctic zone. In Africa, South America and Australia, these insects are almost absent.
A fly with a long black body and a sting
The wasp-like insect has a similar appearance to the ground wasp. The predator has a long black body and mustaches. The bug resembles a wasp due to its striped abdomen.
The black and yellow striped fly, like a wasp, is classified as a predator and easily attacks poisonous spiders. Found everywhere. Some representatives even inhabit the tropics. Some tropical species prefer human blood or mammals. They hide in shelters during the day and hunt at night. Distinctive features: extraordinary composure and the ability to watch over the victim for a long time.
The aggressor instantly rushes to attack, thrusts the sting and injects the toxin. The poison instantly paralyzes the victim.
Black and yellow striped fly
Similar behavior is found in the road wasp. The predator lays eggs on the body of the victim. The larvae pierce the abdomen of insects and gnaw out the insides. Before the cycle is completed, the remainder of the beetle or spider is only a bioshell.
Main differences from wasp
The wasp fly differs from dangerous pests:
- the presence of 1 pair of wings, a bee has 4;
- width and dimensions of the wings;
- hovering in the air and changing the direction of flight, thanks to reduced wings - halteres;
- the thinness of the limbs, on which pollen does not accumulate, compared to a bee;
- fine fluff instead of hard hairs on the body of syrphids, like those of a bumblebee;
- wasps belong to non-social insects; some individuals live separately and group only when mating.
Description of the insect
Larva
Externally, the insect in the larval stage resembles an extremely flexible and mobile leech of a greenish tint. Sometimes the body color may be pale yellow or pink. The internal organs of the syrphid are visible through the thin skin. Length up to a centimeter.
The larva actively crawls on plants infected with aphids. Having overtaken the pests, it sucks them out and continues the hunt again. About two hundred aphids are eaten by one larva per day.
There are species of hoverflies that develop in water (shallow puddles), plant stems, decaying manure and rotten wood. Some prefer anthills, where they feed on ant larvae.
The pupa is drop-shaped, resembling frozen resin. Puparium with a dense shell. In pupae going into winter, the color of the puparia is brown. Summer generation of a lighter yellow hue.
Adult
The body can be either slender or massive, depending on the species. The average size of an adult is from 4 to 25 millimeters.
Varieties
The following types of these flies are common in our country:
- Eristalis is an aquatic species of hoverfly. The larvae search the muddy bottom of puddles with musty water in search of food. All of them have a “tail” - a special breathing tube that allows you to breathe under water.
- Temnostoma vespiforme is distinguished by its external similarity to a wasp. This species is called wasp-shaped. The fly has a characteristic striped color. The larvae feed on rotten deciduous wood. The fly size is up to 18 millimeters.
- Chrysotoxum resembles a large hornet. The abdomen is convex with yellow stripes interrupted in the center. The adult size is from 13 to 18 millimeters. A characteristic feature is a brown shading in the front of the wings.
- Eristalis is a species very similar to bees. The size of the fly is up to one and a half centimeters. The body is covered with short down. The color is dark. There are narrow yellow stripes on the abdomen. Known as beeweed.
- Delia antique larvae damage onions and garlic. The adult color is dirty gray. Size up to 0.7 millimeters. Females lay eggs in the axils of leaves. The larvae penetrate the rhizomes and eat them away, causing rot.
Features of a slender wasp-like fly
When asked what the small, unusually slender striped fly is called, every biologist will answer: it is a hoverfly.
It belongs to the Diptera family of the short-whiskered suborder, which is very extensive - more than 6,000 species.
Most often you can find:
- the common hoverfly, which is also sometimes called the flower fly, its length is 12 mm, the insect is a good pollinator, and its larvae feed on garden pests;
- onion hoverfly, the main food of its larvae is the pulp and juice of bulbous plants;
- wasp-like - its appearance most closely resembles a wasp, and the larvae prefer rotten wood;
- tenacious beekeeper - this species resembles a bee and is darker in color, reaching 1.5 cm in length;
- the eristalia fly, its habitat is near water bodies, for which it was given the name aquatic hoverfly, the insect has a long proboscis that helps it breathe air;
- the bunched hoverfly wasp - in size and appearance it resembles a hornet, the food of the larvae is rotten wood;
- currant - its larvae feed on aphids;
- Ilnitsa - the insect can hover for a long time over reservoirs, at the bottom of which its larvae live.
Among these species there are those that are useful to humans, and there are also garden pests.
Appearance
The slender striped fly, called the hoverfly, looks like a wasp only at first glance.
Upon closer examination, there are many differences:
- only one pair of wings, whereas the wasp has two, although the second is much smaller;
- the golden body is also covered with stripes, but their shape is semi-lunar, black rings with clear boundaries, in most species of wasps the stripes have protrusions;
- the antennae, if any, are shorter in the striped fly;
- but compound eyes are much larger.
Why are these insects so similar? If for a wasp such a bright color is a warning about its danger, then the hoverfly is camouflaged in this way.
Not having such a formidable defense in the form of poison as a predator similar to it, it repeats its coloring for self-defense, escaping from enemies.
This phenomenon is called mimicry.
With its help, a striped fly, similar to a wasp, pretends to be it. In flight, the insect's wings make a special murmuring sound, for which it received the name hoverfly.
There are a huge number of species of syrphids - and this is another answer to the question of what the striped fly is called. They differ greatly from each other depending on their habitat.
Entomologists even have such a specialization - syrphidologist. Among the entire vast world of insects, they chose this unusually slender striped fly to study.
Life cycle and reproduction
The first adult flies appear in late spring, and mating occurs at the end of July. To lay eggs, the female chooses a place where the larvae will have plenty of food.
The further cycle of metamorphosis is as follows:
- egg, this stage lasts only three to four days;
- 1st stage larva;
- 2nd stage larva;
- stage 3 larva - they all look like maggots, gradually grow, reaching a length of about one centimeter, practically do not move, but are very voracious - they can easily eat up to 200 aphids per day;
- prepupa and pupa, their shell is called puparium and resembles a drop of resin, the period of stay in it is up to 2 weeks;
- imago, they are able to fly a couple of hours after emerging from the pupa.
During the development of the larva of some species of striped fly, up to 2000 insect pests become its prey.
Habitats and food
The striped hoverfly has colonized almost the entire territory of the earth's land. It's only too cold for her in Antarctica.
The habitats are very diverse and depend on the type of insect and the type of food that the larvae prefer.
Among the representatives of this family there are those whose larvae are herbivorous, and there are also predators among them. But this only applies to larvae.
All adults feed on pollen and nectar. The most preferred plants for them are complexly colored and umbrella plants, fruit bushes and trees.
Harm and benefits of the hoverfly
Most hoverflies are undoubtedly useful to humans. They not only pollinate plants in the absence of bees, their larvae free the garden and vegetable garden from pests.
Humans only have complaints about the onion hoverfly. Its larvae enjoy eating not only onions and garlic, but also bulbous flowers.
The harm from them can be very great.
In order not to lose the harvest, you will have to take measures:
- if the feathers turn yellow, the plant should be checked for the presence of larvae; if there are any, remove it and burn it;
- carry out treatment with insecticidal preparations;
- observe crop rotation;
- sow carrots and onions together; the hoverfly does not like the smell of carrots;
- After harvesting, disinfect the soil with a solution of copper sulfate.
When using chemicals, you need to be careful and take into account the harm they cause to beneficial insects.
Conclusion
The striped fly, similar to a wasp, is not capable of biting a person due to its biological structure.
On the contrary, the vast majority of species can become its allies in the fight against insect pests.
Experienced gardeners even recommend specially planting umbrella plants in places where pests may accumulate in order to attract these beneficial insects. This is much better than using pesticides.
Description of the insect
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.
Flies that are beneficial: do they exist?
Sewers are the best place for insects to live. Fly larvae are hard at work here, destroying waste products. Considering that feces are the source of many infections, this is useful and necessary work. That is why it cannot be said that the dung fly is a useless pest.
Now about carrion flies, or blow flies. There are a lot of them. In addition to the well-known green fly, there is a blue meat fly and a striped fly (also known as a gray meat fly). Most are viviparous, laying maggots directly into dead flesh. They are considered orderlies. By the way, the gray one is a big fly; it is larger than many of its relatives and immediately catches your eye.
There are also fly predators. For example, ktyr is a fly that destroys mosquitoes and midges. It is not at all dangerous for humans, but small gnats noticeably suffer from this assistant. The hoverfly is a cute creature, not similar in appearance to its relatives. It has very predatory larvae that feed on small soft insects, mainly aphids. Adults resemble wasps in appearance. The photo shows how attractive hoverflies are. Close to them is the wasp fly.
Spanish fly - a poisonous beetle
But what about the Spanish fly, which many have heard about. The insect has its own interesting history. It is believed to cause strong sexual arousal. Surprisingly, the Spanish fly has nothing in common with flies. This is a beetle, and it has a very beautiful emerald, iridescent color. The Spanish fly belongs to the blister family: when attacked, it secretes a liquid that greatly irritates the surface tissues. The insect smells like mice. On its basis, the drug “Spanish Fly” is produced, which is still considered an aphrodisiac. The product was also used to enhance potency, but it turned out that it had a bad effect on the kidneys and liver. Currently, Spanish Fly is one of the most famous drugs that cause sexual desire.
There are a huge variety of flies, and they are all different. We talked about only a few species, including the melon fly, African fly, cabbage fly, zhigalka and others. There is also an insect called the cicada, which is often confused with the heroine of the story. And it’s clear why. The cicada looks like a fly, although in fact it is not one. This is a beautiful, large insect that can sing. The chirping of the cicada can be heard both at night and during the day. She prefers hot climates. Belongs to the order Hemiptera. And although the cicada resembles a fly, it leads a completely different lifestyle.
In addition to those listed, there are many more types of insects. For example, Swedish fly, red fly, mangrove fly, earth flies, black soldier fly and others. These constant, close companions of man have left their mark even in culture: the phraseological unit “white flies”, denoting falling snowflakes, is directly related to insects and is quite poetic. We think it’s worth reconsidering your squeamish attitude and getting to know them better. And perhaps you will discover a lot of interesting things.
The fly (lat. Musca) got its name from the ancient Slavic word “mus”, meaning “gray”. Diptera insects belong to the phylum Arthropoda, class Insectae, order Diptera.
Classification of flies
There are 40 thousand species of flies in the world, which can be divided into three large groups:
- settlement: live in close proximity to humans, are not able to survive in the wild; house flies;
- semi-settlement (facultative-settlement): can live both near humans and in the wild; blow flies;
- grazing: live in livestock droppings on pastures, fly into populated areas; dung flies;
Flies are also divided into those that feed:
- fruits and berries: melon and garden;
- vegetables: lily, cabbage, garlic, cucumber, sprouts;
- flowers: peony;
- blood of animals and people: black (April), ;
- rot and carrion: green, domestic, dung, gray meat;
- other insect pests: hoverflies, blackbirds;
Names of fly species
There are about 4,000 species of flies known in the world. The most unusual, vibrant representatives live in tropical countries. Species of flies in Russia do not pose a mortal danger to humans, but can spread dangerous intestinal infections and other diseases.
The fly insect has similar morphological characteristics, but differs in appearance and life expectancy. The body is covered with thick hairs, has a variety of colors, and is divided into 3 parts - head, chest, belly. The wings are well developed and allow complex maneuvers in flight. Legs with suction cups and hooks make it possible to crawl upside down and stay on any surface.
Flies can be wild, domestic or synanthropic. Conventionally, they are divided into village, semi-village, and pasture. The first live in human houses, barns, or in close proximity. The larvae develop in manure and feces. Pasture animals spend their lives in the wild, in areas where livestock graze, but can fly into a person’s house or apartment.
There are several types of synanthropic flies:
- Muscidae - true flies, house flies or garbage flies;
- Piophilidae - cheese;
- Sarcophagidae - gray blowflies or corpse flies;
- Drosophilidae - fruit flies, fruit flies;
- Calliphoridae - blue, green blowflies;
- Hippoboscidae are bloodsuckers, representatives of three families of gadflies.
There is a constant struggle with synanthropic flies
In the wild, insects are an important part of the ecological system; they help decompose plants and corpses, act as cleaners, and destroy small pests. Birds, amphibians, and some animals eat flies
Types of flies
Harm from a murmuring fly
The daffodil fly, or the murmuring fly, causes great damage to the bulbs of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, gladioli, and the rhizomes of irises.
Before winter, larvae that have not gone through three stages of development are buried in the ground near bulbous plants and overwinter in the bulbs. They eat away the inside of the bulb, and if the plant does not die, then in the spring it grows extremely slowly and does not bloom.
The pest does not like peat, so one of the methods of plant protection is to mulch the planting with peat.
Infected plants can be watered with a solution of pine flour powder, and it is recommended to heat-treat the planting material during the washing and drying process.
Insect biology
The hoverfly insect family belongs to the order Diptera, unlike wasps and bees, which have two pairs of transparent wings. They are distributed throughout the globe and are found in almost all places except the desert and tundra; in Russia alone there are more than eight hundred species.
The color of insects of this family is black and yellow with slight variations observed in all species. Imago, adult hoverflies feed on pollen and nectar of plants, but the larvae of hoverflies have a wider palette of tastes.
Development
Adult insects appear in the garden in late spring. Mating of hoverflies occurs in mid-summer, and their active years last until early August. Each female is capable of laying up to two hundred white eggs. She places them on grass, plant stems, directly in the soil, and on tree branches. It depends on the type of insect. For example, the onion hoverfly, a pest of this crop, lays eggs on onion feathers. After ten days, the eggs hatch into larvae.
Larva
All fishermen and their wives are well aware of the larva of the blowfly - maggot. The hoverfly larva is the same maggot, only slightly smaller in size, only a centimeter long.
The larvae feed depending on the species:
- predators - aphids and psyllids;
- herbivores - bulbs;
- aquatic - detritus;
- woody - dead plant tissue, including manure.
Based on what has been said, we see that these insects are mainly useful, but there are also garden and vegetable pests.
Types of wasps
Zoologists have described a huge number of varieties of wasps. They differ in the pattern located on the head, usually in the front part. In most cases, the drawing stands out for its clarity, but its shape can be very different. For example, the common wasp has a pattern in the shape of an anchor.
Black wasp
All types of wasps
belong to one of two categories: social representatives of these insects and solitary ones. What this means will be discussed later. First, let’s describe some of the representatives of these types. And let's start with the first of them.
Paper wasps
is a group that includes many subfamilies. Only in the central regions of Europe there are about 60 such species, and around the world there are about a thousand.
These insects are also simply called social wasps, since they live in colonies that have a cohesive and very interesting social structure.
Wasp rider
And such wasps earned their first name – “paper” – because of the way they build their nests. This will also be discussed later.
Hornets are the name of a whole genus of paper wasps. Moreover, its representatives are distinguished by significant sizes, reaching a length of 55 cm (but these are the largest). Such insects live in the Northern Hemisphere and are considered endangered today, and therefore it is clear that they are not common.
wasp hornet
wasp hornet
has a significant width of the crown and a rounded abdomen compared to other relatives. The venom of such insects is incredibly effective, and therefore their bites are extremely painful. And the person affected by them, as a rule, receives medical assistance.
These attacks are all the more dangerous because such an insect is capable of making several injections of poison in a row. Deaths among people affected by such attacks are also common. Hornets have recently been classified as true wasps - a family that also includes the subfamilies Vespina and Polistina.
Solitary wasps, as the name itself suggests, differ from their social relatives in their natural predisposition to a solitary existence. Such insects include the following subfamilies of the wasp kingdom, which are worthy of special mention.
flower wasp
1. Flower wasps
- small creatures whose length usually does not exceed a centimeter. Their food consists of pollen and flower nectar. They build their nests from sand and clay, moistening them with saliva.
Their life cycle, including the larval stage, is about two years. In total, about a hundred varieties of such wasps are known. They usually hang around in places where there is a source of food for them, that is, flowers.
2. Sand wasps
. There are many more species of such insects, compared to those just described. There are about 8800 of them in the world. Their body length can be quite small, about half a centimeter.
sand wasp
But there are larger specimens. Their sizes reach up to 2 cm. They are found mainly in the tropics. They feed on insects, first paralyzing them with their poison. Nests are built in the ground.
The body of most wasps is black and yellow. But there are exceptions, because specimens of unusual colors live on earth. For example, black wasps
. These insects can be large or medium in size.
Their venom is extremely toxic. They are found mostly in the tropics, but there are varieties that take root well in colder areas. The favorite prey of such creatures are squirrels, which they hunt with great skill. And the meat of the victims is used to feed the larvae.
Pelopea wasp
red wasps are also found in nature.
. They are also considered unconditionally dangerous for representatives of the human race.
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.
Fly like a wasp
Hoverflies (lat. Syrphidae) are often found in vegetable gardens and summer cottages, where they actively pollinate flowers on garden and fruit crops.
They are widespread and are found on all continents at positive air temperatures. According to biological classification, scientists place them in the order of short-whiskers and the family of Diptera.
Syrphids use a remarkable ability for mimicry, having an appearance very similar to the stinging insects of bees and wasps, having the same yellow and black striped abdomen, as seen in the photo of the hoverfly, thanks to which they escape from the attacks of birds and predators. Hoverflies are virtuosos in the “flight” business: their ability to hover or loiter in one place, and then break off and quickly fly away, is their distinctive feature. It is due to the unique structure of the wings: one pair is normal, and the second has been reduced over time into club-shaped halteres, which helps the insect maintain balance and control stopping in flight.
Male wasp flies have their own territory, which they vigilantly guard, periodically hovering in space. Even mating with females occurs in flight.
Externally, hoverflies resemble bees or wasps: they have an elongated body with a yellow belly and black stripes, some species have a black body with yellow spots.
Hoverfly
Commercial use
The hovering fly is used for commercial purposes, because why use chemicals when there is a natural enemy of many pests, which is capable of producing enough offspring in a short time to destroy all the aphids on the site without using even 1 gram of poison.
Do Hover flies sting or bite?
Hover flies can't sting or bite, but when they lick you, you can feel it and you might think you're about to be bitten, but they're just after your sweat.
