A fly which frequently hovers motionless in the air and feeds on the nectar of flowers. Most hoverflies are black and yellow, patterned to mimic various bees and wasps.
食蚜虻
Family Syrphidae: numerous genera and species
Example sentencesExamples
Flowers, in white or shades of pink, are carried in late summer and into autumn, attracting butterflies, bees and hoverflies on warm, sunny days.
Seed sown in early June has produced a swathe of greenery topped by the most attractive blue flowers that seem irresistible to bees, hoverflies and other insects.
These will encourage bees and hoverflies to visit, pollinating the flowers and controlling any aphids present.
Many insects, such as ground beetles, hoverflies and ladybirds, can keep pests under control - but not if they've been destroyed by chemical sprays.
Recently many of us have begun to plant flowers in the vegetable garden to deter pests by attracting beneficial insects such as ladybirds and hoverflies.