Syrphid flies are pollinating insects

With the air of a bee, wasp, or bumblebee, floats I want to play someone else. However, these little-known insects from the Diptera order are everywhere, playing an irreplaceable role as pollinators of lawns, gardens, hedges, and bees. The bad news: 37% of the 890 species of hoverflies are threatened, according to the first European-wide survey. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists them as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered on its Red List. The report, published on Tuesday, was funded and commissioned by the European Commission.

“While the spotlight has shone on bees in recent years, hoverflies are also highly effective pollinators.”, Véronique Sarthou, agricultural consultant and expert on these harmless insects, relatives of flies, horseflies and mosquitoes. Syrphid flies – called “hoverflies” …