This archive report was first published on 21 May 2020.
May 21, 2020
Bees are not the only pollinators in town. A team of scientists is shedding light on the often-overlooked role of hoverflies in pollination, citing their immense potential as alternative managed pollinators.
According to Karl Wotton, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter's College of Life and Environmental Sciences, hoverflies are frequently mistaken for bees due to their similar appearance. However, they exhibit a unique levitating flight pattern that sets them apart.
Writing in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences journal, Wotton and his team argue that hoverflies are sometimes even more effective pollinators than bumblebees. They provide ecosystem functions not seen in bees, such as crop protection from pests, recycling of organic matter, and long-distance pollen transfer.
With around 6,000 species, hoverflies exist on every continent except Antarctica and a few remote islands. They are capable of fertilizing isolated plants and doing so in climates that are unsuitable for bees and other pollinators.
While bee populations have suffered devastating collapses in recent years, there has been little evidence of similar hits to hoverfly populations. This provides ample grounds for the insect to be better appreciated and investigated, Wotton argues.
"We would love to encourage more research into the roles of hoverflies in pollination, particularly outside of temperate or Mediterranean habitats," Wotton told AFP. "Managed hoverflies may prove to be particularly valuable under conditions where bees do not perform well, such as at extremes of temperature."
