The Webster Viridarium
The oft ignored Hoverfly.
Hoverflies deliberately mimic the bright yellow-and-black stripes of bees and wasps (a survival tactic called Batesian mimicry) but have no stingers and cannot bite. Unlike bees, hoverflies are true flies, meaning they only have two wings instead of four. They also have large, wrap-around eyes that consist of thousands of tiny lenses (ommatidia), which provide an enormous field of view to detect the slightest movements. Male hoverflies typically have larger, closer-together eyes that touch in the middle. Female eyes are clearly separated to help them scan for the best places to lay eggs.
They are named for their incredible aerial skills, often remaining perfectly stationary in a single spot in the air before darting to the next flower.
Hoverflies and sweat bees are often confused because both are small, frequently yellow-and-black insects that swarm humans to lap up salty sweat. However, hoverflies are harmless, stingerless flies that merely mimic bees. Sweat bees are true bees and are equipped with stingers.
Adult hoverflies act as vital pollinators, while their larvae are voracious predators that can consume up to 40 aphids per day. Over their short 7- to 10-day larval stage, a single hoverfly larva can devour between 200 to 400 aphids.
Attract hoverflies by choosing native, open-faced, shallow flowers that accommodate their short mouthparts.
What you can do to attract Hoverflies
Provide Water:
Provide a shallow birdbath or a dish with floating stones so hoverflies can drink safely without drowning.
Avoid Pesticides:
Insecticides kill hoverflies and many other beneficial insects.
Wild Areas:
Leave some areas of your yard slightly wild. Possibly let some of your herbs go to bloom.
Plants to attract Hoverflies
Herbs
Dill
Anethum graveolens
Sun: Full sun
Height: 1′-2′ | Width: 1′-2′
Soil: Well-drained slightly moist soil.
Cold stratification: No
Deer resistant: Yes
Cilantro/Coriander
Coriandrum sativum
Sun: Light sun to partial shade
Height: 2′-3′ | Width: 1′-2′
Soil: Moist, but well-drained soil.
Cold stratification: Yes (30 days)
Deer resistant: Mostly
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
Sun: Full – partial sun
Height: 3′-5′ | Width: 2′-3′
Soil: Consistently moist, but well-drained soil.
Cold stratification: Yes (14-30 days)
Deer resistant: Yes
Native Perennials
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Sun: Full sun
Height: 3′-5′ | Width: 1′
Soil: Prefers well-drained, sandy, or loamy soil. Withstands poor, dry, or rocky soils, but cannot tolerate wet or heavy clay soils.
Cold stratification: Yes (30-60 days)
Deer resistant: Yes
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Sun: Full sun
Height: 2′-5′ | Width: 1′-2′
Soil: Prefers well-drained, dry to moist average soil.
Cold stratification: Yes (30 days)
Deer resistant: Yes
Yarrow
Achillea Millefolium
Sun: Full – partial sun
Height: 2′-3′ | Width: 1′-2′
Soil: Prefers well-drained, average soil.
Cold stratification: Yes (30 days)
Deer resistant: Yes
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Sun: Full sun
Height: 2′-3′ | Width: 1′-2′
Soil: Prefers well-drained, dry to moist average soil.
Cold stratification: Yes (30-60 days)
Deer resistant: Yes
New England Aster
Aster novae angliae
Sun: Full to partial sun
Height: 3′-5′ | Width: 2′-3′
Soil: Prefers well-drained, dry to moist average soil.
Cold stratification: Yes (30-60 days)
Deer resistant: Yes
Golden Alexander
Zizia aurea
Sun: Full – partial sun
Height: 2′-3′ | Width: 1′-2′
Soil: Moist, sandy or sandy-clay soils.
Cold stratification: Yes (30-60 days)
Deer resistant: Mostly
Nodding Onions
Allium cernuum
Sun: Full to partial sun
Height: 18″
Soil: Prefers humus-rich, neutral to alkaline soils.
Cold stratification: Yes (60-90 days)
Deer resistant: Yes
Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Sun: Full sun
Height: 2′-3′ | Width: 2′-3′
Soil: Prefers dry to medium, well-drained soil
Cold stratification: Yes (30-60 days)
Deer resistant: Mostly
Daisy Fleabane
Erigeron strigosus
Sun: Full sun
Height: 1′-2.5′ | Width: 1′-2′
Soil: Prefers well-draining soil.
Cold stratification: Yes (30-60 days)
Deer resistant: Yes
Predators of Adult Hoverflies
- Birds: Many songbirds hunt adult hoverflies in flight or while resting on foliage.
- Spiders: Ambush spiders frequently catch hovering flies near flowering plants.
- Other Insects: Robber flies, yellowjackets, and other predatory wasps are known to hunt them
Predators & Parasites of Hoverfly Larvae & Eggs
- Insects: Larvae are frequently eaten by ants, spiders, and occasionally ladybug larvae or other cannibalistic hoverfly larvae. Hoverfly eggs are also eaten by ants and minute pirate bugs.
- Wasps: Hoverfly larvae are common hosts for parasitoid wasps, which lay their eggs directly inside the larvae.
