Syrphid Flies
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With over seventy five different genera and hundreds of species, identification of any one species can be difficult. Truth be told, fly identification is probably not everyone's cup of tea.
Nonetheless, many of the species, such as the one in the top picture, resemble bees, and like bees, they are native pollinators. Differentiating between native bee mimic pollinators and native bees can make for an afternoon of fun.
Identification starts by watching and waiting for them to pause for a picture as they hover around, and nectar on flowers. The presence of two wings, short antennae and lack of hair on the legs provides the first indications of a fly, rather than a bee.
The abdomen and thorax of syrphids can be either thin and long or short and oval. Most of the identification task involves matching the pattern on the thorax and abdomen to a genus, and hopefully species.
With a few species, eye color and face color can be a good ID clues. A few species have a distinct hair pattern on the abdomen. A close up of the wing pattern also helps.
The pattern on the fly in the top picture can be easily matched to the Eristalis genus. The resemblance to a bee is apparent, explaining its nickname, drone fly.
The second picture shows another syrphid fly with three unconnected bands on the abdomen, followed by two circular bands near the bottom of the abdomen. Those marks indicate either a Scaeva or Eupeodes species.
The third picture shows a very small fly, about one-third the size of a common house fly. The white face and pattern on the abdomen suggest it belongs to the Toxomerus genus, tentatively identified as Toxomerus marginatus.
Unlike bees, hoverflies do not sting.
© 2006-2009 Patricia A. Michaels.