Bee-impersonating flies show pollinator potential

(Washington State University) An observational study found that out of more than 2,400 pollinator visits to flowers at urban and rural farms in in Western Washington about 35% of were made by flies -- most of which were the black-and-yellow-striped syrphid flies. For a few plants, including peas, kale and lilies, flies were the only pollinators observed. Bees still made the majority, about 61%, of floral visits, but the rest were made by other insects and spiders.

Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - June 22, 2021 Category: Biology Source Type: news