Britain's Hoverflies: A Field Guide (2nd edition)

摘要

Hoverflies are really fascinating, and often, people incorrectly think they are wasps and bees due to their ability to mimic other insects by their markings. In fact, they are true flies, and have two wings (e.g. one pair), while other insects like bees and wasps have four wings (two pairs). This book has 650 very clear and well-described photographs, which enable the reader to identify them. There are clear descriptions of how to decide if an insect is a hoverfly or another insect. There is a section on the biology of the hoverfly, which includes the life cycle with photographs of eggs, larva and pupa, the latter not easily seen due to their small size. One thing that gardeners may not realise is that the pupa of hoverflies feed on aphids which often infest beans and roses and many other garden plants and, thus, are a valuable asset to gardeners. There are pictures of larvae found in ant nests, on plants and also in the nests of social wasps and bees.