Going back to about 2016 or so, a species of hover fly (and their larvae) have become increasingly common in and near Indiana cornfields. Last weekend I attended a picnic where they were a topic of conversation because they were landing on everyone and everything. They are harmless but annoying. They have no stingers and cannot bite. These are syrphid flies in the genus Toxomerus (likely Toxomerus politus), and mimic bees and wasps with their yellow/orange and black striping. These flies are common in and around cornfields because the larvae feed on pollen. Each corn plant produces hundreds of thousands of surplus pollen grains, many of which end up in leaf axils. That’s where many of the maggots, fly larvae, can be found. They are taking advantage of a free, reliable protein source. Many syrphid fly larvae are beneficial predators, feeding on aphids, whiteflies and other soft-bodied pest insects. For[Read More…]
