HOVERFLIES LOVE DAHLIAS AND FUCHSIAS

I was terribly disappointed this morning while taking photographs in my garden.  I have wanted to take a superb photograph of a hoverfly (in fact, a mediocre photo would do!) in flight for quite a while and I had such an opportunity this morning.  It's a sunny day, after much rain, and I think the sun was reflecting on my camera lens.  A hoverfly flew right up to the lens.  Perhaps it was looking at itself, or perhaps it thought it was another hoverfly that it could see.  Whatever the reason, it hung about for an age.  It kept hovering around, changing positions and just when I thought I had it, it moved so close to the lens that my lens couldn't focus.  I tell you, it was so frustrating.  Anyway, a little later the same, or another, hoverfly stuck around on a dahlia long enough for me to get a reasonably good photograph or two.  It showed no interest in me, or the lens, whatsoever

Hoverfly on an aging dahlia with pollen exposed

Please be aware that insects like flowers that allow them access to the nectar and pollen.  Pollinating insects, like bees and hoverflies, will ignore double flowers and head straight for the easy pickings.  See the photos of a bumblebee enjoying itself on a Malva moschata Rosea flower and the bees on Penstemons and geraniums in my garden. 



Please save our bees (internal link).



Plants for pollinators - bees, hoverflies, etc

Hoverfly on a dahlia.  I love the colours of this little insect

which was only about 1cm in length. 

 

Hoverfly sticking it's tongue out to feed on the nectar

Note that another insect, left, is also enjoying the dahlia

Having written about the merits of growing flowers, such as dahlias, that have open centres which expose their pollen and nectar to pollinating insects such as bees and hoverflies, I was surprised to see how popular the Southgate and Swingtime fuchsias are in the four hanging baskets which I planted up this spring.  The reason is that the fuchsia flowers protrude their stamens which make access easy for these lovely insects.  Remember, hoverflies do not sting.  They pollinate in the same way that bees do, and some hoverfly larvae eat aphids.  Go hoverflies!

Hoverfly feeding on Southgate fuchsia

Hoverfly feeding on Swingtime fuchsia.  It seems to be licking the surface of a petal!

My only photo of a hovering hoverfly, so far. 

More than mediocre shot, I know.