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The flower flies or hoverflies are a family of fliesThis article is about the insect. For other meanings, see Fly (disambiguation A fly (plural flies is any species of insect of the order Diptera, some of which can land on food and transmit bacteria to humans. Particularly the housefly Musca domestica is c ( Diptera), scientifically termed Syrphidae.

As one of their names suggests, they are most often seen around flowerA flower is the reproductive organ of those plants classified as angiosperms ( flowering plants; Division Magnoliophyta). The function of a flower is to produce seeds through sexual reproduction''. For the higher plants, seeds are the next generation, ands; the adults feed mainly on nectarIn Greek mythology, nectar and ambrosia are the food of the gods. It is believed that the two terms were not originally distinguished—though in Homer's poems and later works, nectar is the drink and ambrosia the food. On the other hand, in Alcman nectar i and pollenSEM image of pollen grains from a variety of common plants: sunflower Helianthus annuus , morning glory Ipomea purpurea ,hollyhock Sildalcea malviflora , lily Lilium auratum , primrose Oenothera fruticosa , and castor bean Ricinus communis . Pollen is a f, while the larvaA larva ( Latin; plural larvae is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). The larva can look completely different from the adult form, for example, a caterpillar differs from a bue ( maggots) eat a wide range of foods. In some species, the larvae are saprophyteA saprophyte is an organism growing on decayed animal or vegetable matter, as most fungi and bacteria. See also Epiphyte.s, eating decaying plant and animal matter in the soil or in ponds and streams. In other species, the larvae are insectivoreAny organism with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures is an insectivore . Although individually small, insects exist in enormous numbers and make up a very large part of the animal biomass in almost all non-marine environmes and prey on aphids, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects. Aphids alone cause tens of millions of dollars of damage to crops worldwide every year, and so aphid-feeding hoverflies are being recognised as important natural enemies of pests, and potential agents for use in biological control.

Some syrphids mimic bees or wasps in appearance, in some cases bearing an alarming resemblance, both in shape and coloration. It is thought that this mimicry protects hoverflies against falling prey to birds and other insectivores which avoid eating true wasps because of their sting. Adult syrphid flies are important pollinators.

About 6,000 species in 200 genera have been described. One species, Eristalis gatesi, is named after Bill Gates [1].