Wow. Pollinating and pest control

I’m guessing but I think that after the European Honeybee (Apis mellifera) the most prolific pollinator of the flowers in my garden is the Common Hoverfly (Melangyna viridiceps), pictured below.

As the name suggests hoverflies are flies i.e. they have two wings, and their flight pattern is characterised by hovering. Adults hover in front of flowers to locate the nectar and pollen on which they feed. Female hoverflies will also hover when scoping out a site to lay her eggs whilst the males will hover when looking for a female. Although they do not actively collect pollen the number of hoverflies and the sheer number of flowers that they visit make them great pollinators.

Common Hoverflies are black and yellow in colour and look a lot like bees. This is called Batesian mimicry whereby a harmless creature has evolved to look like a dangerous one to ward off its predator.

The hoverfly lays its eggs on the leaves and stems of plants. When hatched the young maggots actively hunt and eat aphids in your garden. So hoverflies are beneficial in your garden on two fronts.

P.S. It’s not just when they are looking for food that they hover (pictured right).