Hover Flies: Pollinators and Aphid Predators in One Package

Hover flies (family Syrphidae), also called flower flies or syrphid flies, are bee/wasp mimics that hover like helicopters over flowers. Adults are important pollinators; their slug-like larvae are voracious aphid eaters, capable of controlling 70–80% of an infestation in established populations.

Life Cycle

Females lay creamy white eggs near aphid colonies. Larvae hatch in 2–3 days, feed on aphids for several days, then attach to a stem and pupate in a teardrop-shaped cocoon. Adults emerge in ~10 days (longer in cool weather). Multiple generations per season.

Identification

Bright abdominal bands mimic wasps, deterring predators. Distinguish from wasps by: fly-type head (large eyes, short antennae), two wings (wasps have four), and the characteristic hovering flight.

Attracting Hover Flies

Plant nectar-rich herbs and flowers with small, accessible blooms: oregano, garlic chives, sweet alyssum, buckwheat, bachelor’s buttons, cilantro, dill, fennel, and yarrow. Allow some aphids to persist on “banker plants” to sustain larvae. Avoid all insecticides. Hover flies are not sold commercially, but a diverse, pesticide-free flower border will attract them reliably.

These dual-role insects are a gardener’s dream: pollination by day, pest control by night.