Is this a hoverfly larva?

Discussion in 'Pests, Diseases and Cures' started by groundbeetle, Oct 14, 2022.

  1. groundbeetle

    groundbeetle Gardener

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    I found this, what I think is a hoverfly larva, on a nasturtium leaf today. My nasturtiums are flowering well for the time of year, but I am getting a few blackfly on them, and keep rubbing them off. I wasn't sure what this was, but after photographing it I think it is a hoverfly larva, which was keeping the blackfly numbers down. After photographing it I put it back on the nasturtiums. 8ACA1BC7-4774-493F-BFB7-801189817485.jpeg
     
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    • infradig

      infradig Total Gardener

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      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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        I always thought hoverfly larvae were those rat tail maggots you find in rotting vegetation especially nettle brew.
         
      • NigelJ

        NigelJ Total Gardener

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        There are a lot of different hoverfly species and there larvae are quite varied, some scavengers, some predatory and some vegetarians.
        The rat tailed maggot is the larvae of the Drone Fly a hoverfly that looks like a male bee as an adult; there are a number of other hoverflies with similar looking water living larvae.
         
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        • pete

          pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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          I was watching a programme some time ago and I think it was in Scotland where a specific hoverfly larvae can only live in the hollow rotting stumps of felled trees.
           
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