syrphus fly

noun

syr·​phus fly

ˈsərfəs-

variants or syrphid fly

: any of numerous active day-flying flies that constitute the family Syrphidae, frequent flowers and feed on nectar, vary greatly in form and coloration but generally have a spurious longitudinal vein near the middle of each wing, often mimic bees or wasps and have the abdomen banded with yellow, and produce larvae which feed on decaying organic matter or are predaceous on plant lice

called also flowerfly

compare hover fly , rat-tailed larva

Word History

Etymology

syrphus from New Latin Syrphus genus of dipterous flies, from Greek syrphos gnat

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