Hover fly
Melanostoma mellinum
Small dark hover fly with yellowish markings. Larvae feast on aphids; adults pollinate flowers year-round in temperate Bay Area conditions.
Plants that support Hover fly
8 plants
California vanilla grass
Anthoxanthum occidentale
grass
larval host plant; larvae feed on aphids associated with grass
Creeping Fescue
Festuca rubra
grass
Adult pollen feeder; provides natural pest control; spring-early summer
Oneleaf Foamflower
Tiarella trifoliata ssp. unifoliata
perennial herb
Pollinating fly visiting flowers during mid-summer bloom
Pacific Black-snakeroot
Sanicula crassicaulis
perennial herb
Spring pollen and nectar foraging
Pacific Starflower
Lysimachia latifolia
perennial herb
Early season nectar source for emerging hover flies
Pink Honeysuckle
Lonicera hispidula
vine
Adult nectar feeding during bloom season
Western Sword Fern
Polystichum munitum
fern
Uses fern fronds for shelter and overwintering
Yellow-eyed-grass
Sisyrinchium californicum
perennial herb
Early season pollen source for adult nutrition and egg-laying females