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Hoverfly Although these brightly-coloured insects look like bees or wasps, they are in fact true flies and do not sting. Biocontrol Hoverfly populations are encouraged by gardeners as their larvae feed on insects like aphids, thrips, and leaf hoppers, which are harmful to plants. Batesian mimicry is a survival tactic employed by a relatively harmless species to escape potential predators by exhibiting the appearance of a harmful species. The hoverfly employs this tactic to look like a wasp, bee, or even hornet, and is often mistaken by people and predators alike. Being a true fly, it doesn't bite or sting. Hoverflies, commonly known as flower flies, belong to the Syrphidae family, and hence, they are often also called syrphid flies. They get their common names from their habit of hovering over flowers in order to feed on nectar. Due to their diet of nectar, they also act as pollinators. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, there are close to about 6,000 species of these flies. They are commonly foun
