Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America

Description:

This is the first comprehensive field guide to the flower flies (also known as hoverflies) of northeastern North America. Flower flies are, along with bees, our most important pollinators. Found in a varied range of habitats, from backyard gardens to aquatic ecosystems, these flies are often overlooked because many of their species mimic bees or wasps. Despite this, many species are distinctive and even subtly differentiated species can be accurately identified. This handy and informative guide teaches you how.

This guide covers all 416 species occurring north of Tennessee and east of the Dakotas, including the high Arctic and Greenland. Each species account provides information on size, identification, abundance, and flight time, along with notes on behavior, classification, hybridization, habitats, larvae, and more.

Summarizing the current scientific understanding of North America's flower fly fauna, this is an indispensable resource for anyone, amateur naturalist or scientist, interested in discovering the beauty of these insects.

* 3000+ colour photos (field and museum shots)

* Multiple images per species, with arrows highlighting key field marks

* Greyscale images showing the actual size of the insect

* Distribution maps for each species

* Information on size, identification features, abundance, flight times, and more