06 • 02 • 2020
Insect of the Year 2020: Any Hoverfly
Usually, the Entomological Society of Latvia honours one specific insect species to be awarded the title of the Insect of the Year. However, this year, a whole insect family, namely, the hoverfly (Syrphidae) family has been selected.
Entomologists have chosen a whole family for the second time in the history of this tradition. First time, the family of the beautiful damselflies was chosen back in 2004.
Hoverflies are to be spotted quite often – these are averagely sized flies with a striking appearance. Hoverflies that reside in Latvia are from 6 to 15 millimetres long. Mature insects mostly reside in deciduous forests that are not too dense or in forest edges.
Commonly these insects that belong to two-winged (true flies) species have only two wings. However, hoverflies can fly pretty quickly and masterly. They are endowed with outstanding manoeuvring skills. They manage to stay at one point in the air for quite a long time just by moving their wings, and then fly away just as quickly and smoothly. Moreover, they can also fly backwards.
Insects should thank their wing structure for this skill. Hoverflies have a pair of frontwings, but their backwings have reduced, only a pair of little sized wings are left, however, they do make some recognizable noise, when insect is flying. Those little reduced backwings help to maintain balance when flying.
The most significant visual feature of the majority of mature representatives of the hoverfly family is the warning colour (black and yellow) of their body that is similar to that of stinging insects (many of hymenoptera – ants, bees, wasps and sawflies). They also take advantage of mimicry – that is how non-poisonous insects disguise themselves to look like poisonous stinging insects (bees, wasps, bumblebees). Hoverflies do not have poison or a stinger. Hoverflies differ from bees and wasps also with their body structure – their belly is not clearly separated from their chest, and hoverflies have conspicuously big eyes.
All the mature hoverfly species mainly feed on nectar and pollen. There are some hoverfly species that feed on different plants, some species that to a smaller or larger extent specialize on specific plant genera. It goes without saying that hoverflies leave flowers pollinated. Those insects are significant pollinators of different plants.
The food of hoverfly larvae is not as homogeneous as it is for mature insects of this family. Larvae, depending to their genus or species, are either vegetable-feeding (phytophaga) or meat-feeding (predators), or detritus-feeding (also of detritus, which lies in water), or those who feed on biological waste that is to be found in nests of hymenoptera.
Insect of the Year 2020 – the Hoverfly
So far, 301 of hoverfly species have been recorded in Latvia. We hope that the title of the Insect of the Year will contribute to even more discoveries in the future.
