killerplants.com | Renfield's Garden | Renfield's Garden Archive Most Recent | Free Newsletter Signup

What is a hover fly?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

October 15, 2003

killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~

Gurney's Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.

Suggested Reading—>Click here.

Assorted Killer Savings Garden Links—>Click here.

Unique Professionally Designed Gardens—>Click here.

Killer Picks: 3-in-1 Sweet Cherry Tree, 4-in-1 Apple Tree, Peach, Apricot—>Click here.

Allograpta obliqua, "Other-marked, oblique", is a tiny hover or flower fly. A full sized adult is only 6 to 7 millimeters (one-fourth inch) in length. It is common; its native range is across the southern third of Canada all the way down into northern Argentina. Yet, it is so small that it does not have a common name, but is lumped together with the five to six thousand other species of hover flies or syrphids. When the creature is noticed, it is usually hovering almost stationary in the air. The immediate human response is to swat, slap, or squash this colorful bee mimic.

The adult stage is black and yellow striped and looks like a small wasp. Papaver somniferum with Hoverfly on Stamen
Photographic Print by Francois De Heel
Buy Photographic Print at AllPosters.com

Allograpta obliqua (Say) is an economically beneficial insect. In temperate climates, these flies are only active during the warm months; in subtropical and tropical, they are active throughout the year. The summer life cycle may be as short as three weeks, but in the tropics and subtropics, the winter life cycle can last as long as nine weeks.

The female hover fly seeks out aphids and lays her eggs singly near a colony. The eggs hatch 2 to 3 days later. Depending upon the temperatures, the larval stage can last anywhere from five to twenty days. Hover fly larvae or maggots are voracious consumers of aphids. This hover fly's larvae can eat from seventeen to forty-eight aphids per day. ("A Hover Fly, Allograpta obliqua (Say)", H.V. Weems, Jr., FDOACS, March 1971)

The adult stage is black and yellow striped and looks like a small wasp. This fly is one of the few insects capable of flying backwards. It is even more important than the larvae. These mimics visit flowers to feed on nectar and, in the process, perform more pollination in orchards than do the native bees. ("Flower Flies", F. Christian Thompson, The Diptera Site, USDA and SI, 1999)

The Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (IFAS) in Dover, Florida has a great photograph of an Allograpta obliqua egg and more information about syrphids. To view the photograph, click on the link:

http://strawberry.ifas.ufl.edu/entomology/beneficial9full.htm

The Cedar Creek Natural History Area of the University of Minnesota has a photograph of an adult Allograpta obliqua. To view the photograph, click on the link:

http://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/album/029047030ap.html

killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~

Unique Professionally Designed Gardens

Springhill Nursery®

Spring Hill Nursery has unique gardens professionally designed by experts to take the guesswork out of gardening. Whether you are looking for a three season garden, foundation garden, or a garden to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, Spring Hill Nursery has created a step-by-step design just for you. Click here - $20 off your first order at Spring Hill Nursery!

Cherry Tree, 3-in-1 Sweet Cherry

Gurney's Seed and Nursery®

Productive Space Saver

Trio of sweet cherries-including Bing--grafted onto a single tree. The result is a thing of beauty! Different varieties pollinate each other for a longer season. Sorry, Rocket Root trees not available for this variety. Zones: 5 - 8 (-20° F.)

This Item Ships In The Spring Click here - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!

Comments: Cherries do not like wet feet. Do not soak trees for over 24 hours, prior to planting. If fertilizing when planting, only use a slow release fertilizer.

Cherries are an excellent choice for home gardens. The incredibly juicy, bite-size treats begin to ripen to June- earlier than other tree fruits- and the fruit can be used in so many ways! Many varieties are self-pollinating, too, so you can pick a bountiful crop even if you have room for only one tree.

Fruit Trees & Nut Trees For Sale - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!

4-in-1 Apple Tree

Gurney's Seed and Nursery®

Four Different Apples

Four different apple varieties al on the same tree. The varieties pollinate each other for top crops, then ripen at different times to extend the harvest. Best of all, you only have to care for one tree- ideal when space is limited.

Zones 4-8

This Item Ships In The Spring Click here - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!

Fruit Trees & Nut Trees For Sale - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!

Contender Peach Tree

Gurney's Seed and Nursery®

Late Frosts No Problem!

Gurney's Choice For top-quality crops in any region. Excellent cold hardiness and tolerance to late spring frosts makes Contender superb for Northern growers. Marvelously melting, sweet yellow flesh. Extra juicy.

Self-pollinating. Ripens in mid-August.

Zones: 4 - 8 (-20° F.)

This Item Ships In The Spring Click here - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!

Peaches- members of the big Prunus genus-share similar traits. In addition to bearing sweet, juicy fruit, all of these stone fruits have beautiful springtime blossoms and attractive leaves, making them valuable landscaping trees.

Comments: Hardiness equals Reliance plus blooms late. Marvelously melting sweet yellow flesh. Extremely juicy. This is the pick for fresh eating quality and crops year after year. High tolerance to late spring frosts.

Fruit Trees & Nut Trees For Sale - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!

Apricot Tree, Goldcot

Gurney's Seed and Nursery®

Perfect for Processing

Gurney's Choice Cold-hardy strain sets sweet golden fruit by mid-July. Fine for fresh eating, but truly shines as a canner. Flavor, texture and color process without loss of quality. For best yield, Plant 2 or more trees.

Apricots- members of the big Prunus genus-share similar traits. In addition to bearing sweet, juicy fruit, all of these stone fruits have beautiful springtime blossoms and attractive leaves, making them valuable landscaping trees.

Zones: 4 - 7 (-20° F.)

This Item Ships In The Spring Click here - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!

Comments: Moderately thick, tough, golden yellow skin. Juicy, fine textured, medium orange, freestone flesh. Fertilize after tree has reached bearing age. Plant with graft 1/2 inch above ground. Thin fruits to develop largest size of remaining fruit. Tangy flavor. Consistently heavy bearer. Somewhat resistant to bacterial leaf spot.

Special considerations: Prepare an area 36" in diameter clearing all sod and weeds. Work the soil 24" deep. Dig the planting hole right before planting.deep enough and wide enough to accommodate the roots w/o crowding.plant bareroot trees 1" deeper than they were grown in the nursery. Plant grafted trees w/ the graft union 1" above the soil--2-3" is better. Never let the roots dry out. Soak the roots no more than 24 hrs prior to planting. Fill hole with soil & firm around the roots. Water well to remove any air pockets. Fill in the rest of the hole w/ soil & water again. Only mix a slow release fertilizer formula into the planting hole.best to prune in early spring.

Fruit Trees & Nut Trees For Sale - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!