SYRPHID FLY PREDATORS

Contents

Identification

Fact Sheet (requires Acrobat Reader 3.x or above to read and print. Click below to download the free "Reader".)

Registered Insecticides

References

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Syrphid Fly Adult	Syrphid Fly Larva
Syrphid Fly Adult	Syrphid Fly Larva
	Adults are 10 to 12 mm long, marked with yellow, black, or white bands. Adults feed only on pollen, nectar, and honeydew. Larvae are about 12 mm long, wrinkled or slug-like in appearance, tappering to a point at the head. They are usually brown or green with whitish areas. Eggs are chalky white, with faint longitudinal ridges. Syrphids overwinter as pupae in the soil or above ground in leaves and plant material. Adults emerge in May and June and lay eggs on leaves and stems of plants infested with prey. Larvae feed for 7 to 10 days, then drop to the soil to pupate. A life cycle is completed in 16 to 28 days and there are 3 to 7 overlapping generations each year. Syphid fly larvae feed on soft-bodied insects, particularly aphids. As many as 400 aphids may be consumed by one larva during its development.
Syrphid Fly Pupa	View the Fact Sheet for More Information

This section contains information on the identification of syrphid fly predators.  The Fact Sheet contains specific information on identifcation and biology of these predators (requires Acrobat Reader).