Hover flies (flower flies)
Syrphidae
Family-level entry for the wasp- and bee-mimicking flies that are among the most frequent flower visitors in North American gardens and, after wild bees, often considered the second-most important group of pollinators. Adults feed on nectar and pollen and favor shallow, accessible flowers — flat-topped Apiaceae umbels (golden-alexanders, fennel, dill) and open composite Asteraceae blooms — that their short mouthparts can reach. The larvae of roughly 40 percent of species are predators of aphids and other soft-bodied insects, with a single larva consuming up to several hundred aphids over its two-to-three-week development, making them important natural pest control alongside their pollination role.
Conservation
No syrphid species is listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and the family as a whole is widespread and common. Studies note that diversity and the number of specialist species fall sharply in areas of intensive land use, so the lack of formal listings may partly reflect limited research rather than an absence of threats. Providing a long succession of open, nectar- and pollen-rich flowers is the canonical garden action for supporting them.