Migrant Hoverfly/Eupeodes corollae/nyfiken blomfluga.
Hoverflies might look like bees or wasps at first glance, but they’re completely harmless and can’t sting at all. This clever disguise — known as mimicry — helps them avoid hungry predators like birds and dragonflies.
Hoverflies play a vital role in nature. As larvae, they are fierce aphid hunters, protecting plants from pests. Once they grow up, they switch to a vegetarian diet, sipping nectar from flowers and helping with pollination along the way. In a world where good pollinators and natural pest control are more important than ever, hoverflies are true unsung heroes.
They also have fascinating differences between the sexes. Males often have joined eyes that almost look like a single big eye on top of their head, while females have separate eyes. Their yellow markings differ too: males usually have merged patterns, whereas females’ markings are narrower and more distinct. Their large compound eyes, made up of thousands of tiny lenses called ommatidia, give them excellent vision for spotting flowers and potential mates. Pictured here is a female migrant hoverfly.
Värmland, Sweden (July 16, 2023).
