Margined Calligrapher

Fascinating facts about the Margined Calligrapher

• In lettuce fields along California's Central Coast the margined calligrapher fly dominates aphid control, being recorded as the most numerous Syrphidae species there. Its larvae actively hunt aphids, thrips and small caterpillars, turning the crop into a feeding ground for these tiny predators. Adult flies then move among the flowers, sipping nectar from a wide range of blossoms while remaining in the same fields.
• The margined calligrapher fly is strongly attracted to the plant volatile methyl salicylate, a compound that doubles as a floral perfume and as a signal released when plants are attacked by herbivores. This scent draws the hoverfly to damaged crops where it can locate prey for its larvae. The species is a common hoverfly throughout many parts of North America, increasing the likelihood that it will encounter methyl salicylate in diverse agricultural settings.
• Cranberry bogs regularly host the margined calligrapher fly, where it can be seen hovering among the low-lying vines that line the wetlands. The species is commonly found in cranberry fields, adding to its reputation as a frequent visitor to wet agricultural habitats. Like elsewhere, the adults feed on a variety of flowers while the larvae prey on aphids and other small insects present among the plants.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Margined Calligrapher

In the warm, golden light of a summer's day, the Margined Calligrapher dance across the landscape, their iridescent bodies glimmering like tiny, winged jewels as they flit from bloom to bloom. With a fluttering rhythm that belies their speed, these agile creatures weave through the air, their delicate wings beating at a furious pace as they pursue the sweet, heady nectar that sustains them. As they move, their slender forms seem to leave trails of shimmering light in their wake, a testament to the enchanting beauty of these tiny, unassuming masters of the aerial realm.

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