SYRPHID FLY
Also known as Flower Flies, Hover Flies, or Syrphid Flies in the Family Syrphidae.
Important Facts:
The flower flies are by far the most important family of predatory flies.
Besides an aphid predator it is also an important predator of cranberry tipworm which is the larva of a small midge that attacks the cranberry plant.
Description:
This large group of flies range from 1/4 to 3/4 inch long.
Adult syrphid flies are black or brown with yellow banded abdomens and body markings, resembling bees and wasps.
Some are hairy and have a long, thin abdomen.
Antennae are short.
Larvae of most species are legless and vary in color from creamy-white to green or brown.
Benefit:
Considered beneficial because the larval stages of many species are predators of insect pests such as aphids and the adults feed on the nectar and pollen from flowers making them excellent pollinators.
The larvae of Syrphid tend to prey primarily on aphids, mealybugs and scale insects.
Life cycle:
The females lay a single egg on leaves near aphid infestations or near other food source.
The larvae hatch in about 3 days and develop through several steps over a period of 2 to 3 weeks before developing, either on the host plant or in the soil.
It takes 1 to 2 weeks for the adult to emerge, but the pupal stage remains through the winter.
Seven generations may occur annually.
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