You do not have access to any existing collections. You may create a new collection.
Abstract
Hoverflies are valuable insects and particularly over the last two decades, they have started to impact on a wider range of people than just specialists. Hoverflies are known and recognised not just for their striking colours, remarkable hovering behaviour and flower visiting habits but also because of their roles in providing ecological, environmental, economic and services. Their ecological and economic roles and services centre on their ability to pollinate plants in both natural and agricultural systems and predatory larvae that reduce economic losses in cultivated plants by attacking sap-sucking pests like greenfly and scale insects. Hoverfly values also involve plant feeding hoverfly larvae, either as potential agents of weed control or, occasionally, as being pests themselves. Additional services include larvae that have a completely different way of life and are recyclers in a wide range of terrestrial habitats and to their largely untapped potential as composters of organic wastes from agricultural and industrial processes. Environmentally hoverflies are of importance because in many habitats, they consist of groups with varying levels of specialism and/or endemic species that are of biodiversity significance in themselves or that can act as indicators and monitors of climate change and habitat or site quality. Some hoverflies are of conservation significance because, unfortunately, they are endangered by human activities and require action to ensure their survival. As such, they can act as proxy for whole communities and functional groups so that by conserving them, much other wildlife is also conserved. Hoverfly research has undergone a renaissance over the past 20 years which is due to a better realisation and understanding of these ecological, environmental and economic roles and services, vastly improved understanding of basic species taxonomy particularly in Europe, and application of new techniques for investigating hoverflies, such as assessing their evolutionary relationships using phylogenetics and DNA sequencing. Hoverflies are diverse and beautiful and their habits and behaviour provoke both wonder and curiosity. Many people have developed an interest in hoverflies and actively contribute to the growing but still, gap-riddled, collective knowledge of these colourful and generally beneficial insects. A much greater number of people have heard of hoverflies and may even be able to recognise them but beyond this, hoverflies remain a mystery. Until now hoverflies are one of the few insect groups with a growing appeal but with no book devoted to their natural history. The aim of this book is to fill this gap and to take readers into the world of hoverflies by giving an account of their major features, attributes, habits and behaviour.
