Subtitle: Watch a hover fly larva eat the aphids on my cucumbers
Hover flies (Syrphidae) are common insects in gardens. We see them flying around flowers – hovering in mid-air like mini helicopters. The adult hover flies feed on nectar and pollen and are important pollinators.
Hover fly larvae are ferocious aphid-eating maggots. Hover fly larvae are the most effective aphid predators in my garden. They can be a bit hard to see, especially when they are in their early larval stages, but a hand lens of some sort will help.
I hope you enjoy the video. I’ve wanted to shoot some decent footage of hover fly larvae for ages!
I am trying something a bit different with this video. I’m not in it! Let me know what you think in the comments.