How can I tell if it's a hoverfly or a wasp?

Watch how it moves—hoverflies can hang motionless in mid-air with incredible precision, while wasps bumble along with more obvious intent. Hoverflies also have large eyes that meet at the top of their heads and short antennae, whereas wasps have smaller, widely spaced eyes and long, bent antennae.

Are hoverflies good for the garden?

Yes, they're brilliant for gardens. Hoverfly larvae feed on aphids, with a single larva capable of eating hundreds during its development, making them a natural and effective form of pest control.

Why do hoverflies look like wasps?

It's a survival strategy called mimicry. Over millions of years, hoverflies that happened to look more like dangerous wasps were less likely to be eaten by predators, so they survived to pass on their striped appearance.

Creepy-Crawlies: A Field Report

Why That Hovering Fly Isn't Actually a Wasp: Hoverflies and the Art of Bluffing

These harmless flower-visitors include convincing wasp and hornet mimics that fool predators and nervous walkers alike, and the larvae of some species helpfully feed on aphids. Adults stick to nectar and pollen, so the only sting is to your credibility when you flinch.

1 September 20267 min read