Syrphidae

Definition

A large family of true flies (order Diptera), commonly known as hoverflies or flower flies, characterized by adults that hover at flowers to feed on nectar and pollen, and by larvae with diverse trophic strategies including saprotrophy, detritivory, and predation on aphids and other plant-sucking insects. Many species exhibit Batesian mimicry of Hymenoptera.

Etymology

From the genus name Syrphus (Greek syrphos, a gnat or small fly) + -idae (family suffix).

Example

The larva of the aphidophagous syrphid Episyrphus balteatus can consume hundreds of aphids during its development, making it a valuable biocontrol agent in agricultural systems.

Synonyms

• hoverflies
• Flower flies
• syrphid flies

Related Terms

• Diptera
• Brachycera
• Aschiza
• Syrphoidea
• Syrphinae
• Eristalinae
• Microdontinae
• Batesian mimicry
• aphidophagous
• saprotroph
• Detritivore
• maggot

Usage Notes

Syrphidae is treated as plural in formal taxonomic usage (the family Syrphidae), though individual species are often referred to informally as "a syrphid." The common name "hoverfly" is sometimes written as two words or hyphenated; specialists increasingly prefer the single word. Not to be confused with the bacterial genus Tullyiplasma (formerly Mesoplasma) syrphidae, an endosymbiont of unknown significance named after the fly family.