Interactions

 The hover fly are found worldwide. They have similar resemblances to wasps and display batesian mimcry, a defense mechanism, which confuses inexperienced predators into thinking that they are actually wasps or bees. With that in mind, hover flies also act like honey bees because they pollinate flowers just like honey bees. The upside to this is that they don’t bite or sting.

Hover flies are important in terms of agriculture; phytophagous insects are kept at a minimal as a result. For example, aphids are kept at a minimal. Aphids are usually in colonies. As a colony, they will devour crops. They will also produce honeydew, resulting in the growth of sooty mold fungus.  Flint says, “Aphids may transmit viruses from plant to plant on certain vegetable and ornamental plants” and “Squashes, cucumbers, pumpkins, melons, beans, potatoes, lettuces, beets, chards, and bok choy are crops that often have aphid-transmitted viruses associated with them” (Flint, 2012). So, hover flies play a huge role in terms of agriculture due to the fact that the larvae may eat up to 300 aphids before developing into pupas.  And, in the adult stage hover flies eat honeydew. This allows for less sooty mold fungus plants to develop on crops.

 

 

 

 

More information on aphids 

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