A: I suspect the fly may be a Hover Fly, Allograpta obliqua, which is also called flower fly, or syrphid fly. The adults are important pollinators for several common plants in our area and they are found in Northeast Florida throughout the year – winter, spring, summer or fall. The larvae develop into an adult much slower in the winter, which takes about 8 days whereas during the summer it may only takes 1-2 days to mature. Hover flies feed on the nectar of flowers as well as the honeydew secreted by aphids. Remember, aphids are piercing/sucking insects which feed on the new growth of plants. The larvae of the Hover Fly are veracious eaters feeding on aphid pests commonly found on citrus, subtropical fruit trees, grains, corn, alfalfa, cotton, grapes, lettuce, and ornamental plants. When Hover fly larval populations are high they can nearly eliminate the aphid infestations of a specific plant. One Hover Fly can eat as many as 34 aphids a day – so you can see why they are valuable to any gardener and why we need to do all we can to protect them. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in342

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