- The hoverfly is a fly (a dipteran, with 2 wings), not a wasp or a bee: it cannot sting and is completely harmless.
- It mimics stinging insects through Batesian mimicry, a trick to scare off predators.
- Hoverflies are the most important pollinators after bees.
- Its larva is a terror for aphids: 400 to 700 aphids eaten in about ten days.
- Some species migrate more than 1,000 km every year.
Short answer: the hoverfly is a fly, not a wasp: it has no sting and cannot sting. Its yellow and black stripes are a disguise to fool predators. In the garden, it is a precious ally: the adult pollinates flowers and its larva devours aphids.
What exactly is a hoverfly?
Hoverflies belong to the large Syrphidae family, within the order Diptera, the "true" flies. Around 6,000 species are known worldwide, and some 890 in Europe. Despite its striped outfit that recalls a wasp or a bee, it is very much a fly: it has no sting, no venom and not the slightest intention of stinging you.
Its resemblance to stinging insects is no accident. It is Batesian mimicry, described by the naturalist Henry Walter Bates in 1862: a harmless species (the hoverfly) imitates the appearance of a feared one (the wasp) to deter predators, birds above all. The yellow and black outfit is a survival disguise, which sadly also earns it plenty of swats from badly informed gardeners.
Hoverfly, wasp or bee? How to tell them apart
Good news: once you know the right clues, identification is child's play. Here is how to recognise a hoverfly for sure:
- The wings: the hoverfly has only one pair of wings (2 wings), whereas wasps and bees have two pairs (4 wings).
- The flight: the hoverfly hovers, motionless in mid-air like a mini helicopter, before darting off and freezing again. Neither wasps nor bees do this.
- The antennae: very short in the hoverfly, much longer in the wasp.
- The size: a small, slender body (often 8 to 12 mm), without the famous narrow "wasp waist".
- The eyes: large, bulging eyes, typical of flies.
To make things clearer, here are the three insects side by side:
| Feature | Hoverfly | Wasp | Bee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wings | 2 (one pair) | 4 (two pairs) | 4 (two pairs) |
| Antennae | very short | long and elbowed | elbowed |
| Body | slim, not very hairy, no marked waist | smooth, with a very thin wasp waist | stocky and hairy |
| Sting | none, it has no sting | yes, and it can sting several times | yes for the worker, which often dies |
| Hovering flight | yes, its speciality | no | no |
| Role in the garden | pollinates flowers, its larva eats aphids | hunts insects, pollinates a little | major pollinator, makes honey and wax |
The hoverfly is one of the many pollinator friends of the bees well worth getting to know and protecting.
The marmalade hoverfly, the star of our gardens
If you remember only one, make it this one: the marmalade hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), named for its orange tones. It is by far the most common species in gardens, parks and the countryside, found throughout Europe, North Africa and Asia.
You can recognise it by its abdomen marked with double black bands on each segment, in a colour ranging from yellow to orange. At 8 to 12 mm long, it is one of the few insects that stays active from early spring, when it is still too cool for bees, as well as at altitude and in areas without hives.
Its larva: a formidable aphid eater
This is where the hoverfly becomes the gardener's best friend. While the adult feeds only on nectar and pollen, the larva is carnivorous and loves aphids.
The female lays her eggs right next to an aphid colony. When it hatches, the small, translucent, worm-like larva, which looks like a mini slug with no visible head or legs, just has to help itself. And its appetite is huge: according to scientific and agricultural data, a single larva eats between 400 and 700 aphids during its development of about ten days, and up to nearly 1,000 for the marmalade hoverfly. Over her life, a female can lay several thousand eggs: that's a lot of little hunters released into your flowerbeds.
The result: natural aphid control, without a drop of insecticide. The hoverfly works perfectly alongside another well-known predator, the ladybird, another great aphid eater. Together, they form a highly effective anti-aphid squad.
A leading pollinator, just behind bees
We talk a lot about bees, rightly so, but we often forget that hoverflies are the most important pollinators after them. Flying from flower to flower to feed on nectar and pollen, the adult carries pollen grains and plays an active part in plant reproduction, just like a bee.
Their advantage: they stay active in cool or cloudy weather, when bees prefer to stay sheltered. They provide "relay" pollination, which is precious in spring and in regions where bees are scarce.
The incredible journey of hoverflies: billions of invisible migrants
Here is the fact almost nobody knows, and which makes these insects even more fascinating: hoverflies migrate, sometimes over spectacular distances.
Using insect-tracking radar, researchers estimated that up to 4 billion hoverflies, around 80 tonnes of biomass, cross the skies above southern Britain every year. On the way, these populations eat trillions of aphids and make billions of flower visits: a gigantic ecological service, carried out silently, high in the sky.
The marmalade hoverfly is one of these great travellers. Scientists from the University of Exeter caught migrating individuals in the Pyrenees: heading south in autumn and north in spring, on journeys that can exceed 1,000 kilometres. For an insect barely 1 cm long, it is a real feat. Details of these mass migrations have been published in the scientific journal Current Biology.
How to attract hoverflies to your garden
Good news: helping them is simple and completely free. Here are the right habits.
1. Plant the flowers they love
Adult hoverflies have short tongues: they prefer simple, flat flowers that are easy to reach. Go for umbellifers (wild carrot, fennel, dill), oxeye daisies, yarrow, pot marigolds, cosmos, borage, phacelia, ivy, common daisies and poppies. A pro tip for farmland: phacelia, sown along field edges, is a real hoverfly magnet.
2. Stagger the flowering
Plan for flowers from March to October, to offer nectar and pollen throughout their active season.
3. Give them shelter
Keep a few piles of dead leaves, bundles of hollow stems and unmown areas: these are perfect refuges for overwintering. A well-placed insect hotel completes the set-up, as do our other accessories for a welcoming garden.
4. Ban pesticides
Anti-aphid insecticides are deadly to hoverfly larvae and harm the females' fertility. By dropping them, you let your natural allies do the work for you. And tolerating a few aphids is exactly what attracts females looking for a place to lay.
Precious allies, but under threat
Like bees, hoverflies are declining. The first European assessment carried out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found that 37% of Europe's 890 hoverfly species are threatened (vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered). Long-term monitoring in the Alps and the Pyrenees confirms a worrying collapse of migratory populations.
The causes? Pesticides, intensive farming that removes wild flowers, and the loss of habitats. By welcoming hoverflies to your garden, you are acting concretely for biodiversity, in exactly the spirit of our commitment to protecting bees and their pollinator friends.
🐝 FAQ - Your questions about hoverflies
No, never. The hoverfly is a fly with no sting and no venom. Its resemblance to a wasp is just a protective disguise: it is completely harmless to people and animals.
Four clues: the hoverfly has only 2 wings (the wasp has 4), hovers in mid-air, has very short antennae and a smaller body without a marked wasp waist.
Extremely. The adult is a leading pollinator and its larva eats 400 to 700 aphids in about ten days. It is a natural ally that can replace insecticides.
Plant simple, flat flowers (daisies, yarrow, marigolds, phacelia, umbellifers), stagger flowering from March to October, offer shelter (dead leaves, an insect hotel) and ban pesticides.
No. Unlike bees, hoverflies make no honey, no wax and no venom. They visit flowers to feed and, in doing so, pollinate them.
Sources: IUCN, European Red List of Hoverflies (2022); Wotton et al., Current Biology (2019), study on hoverfly migration; University of Exeter, research on hoverfly migration; INRAE, "What are bees for?" (pollinating insects).
Do you see the world of pollinators differently now? The hoverfly is just one member of the great team working alongside bees for the biodiversity of our gardens. To go further, discover all the pollinator friends of the bees. A question, or something you spotted in your garden? Ask it in the comments and I will reply. 🐝
Christophe.
