The Western Pond Fly is very adaptable at mimicking, they appear to be a yellowjacket wasp. The deception is well done. While the yellowjackets have a powerful sting, the western pond fly is harmless and is considered a valuable pollinator of flowers. The larvae are scavengers in the soggy habitat where develop. This species ranges throughout western Canadian Provinces and all of Vancouver Island.
This is a hoverfly that belongs to a large family of small to big flies. They are true flies or Diptera, with only one pair of wings. These flies are amazing to watch, their ability to hover and then in a flash be somewhere else, their speed is incredible.
Hoverflies can have spots, bands or stripes, of yellow, and brown against a dark-coloured background, sometimes with dense hair covering the body surface. Their fast flight, motionless flight, and in some species, their size are astonishing feats. Some Hoverflies are among the biggest flies. Many species are very colourful. It is not always that easy to identify hoverflies. Some thick-headed flies and bee flies are similar and dark coloration makes it hard to identify them correctly at a glance. Bee flies tend to have longer hair.
Many are seen in the summer mixing with butterflies, bees, bumblebees, and other flower-dependent insects. Male hovers tend to emerge and mature first, earlier in the season to ensure reproduction is successful. Many species are useful to the gardener since their larvae eat pest aphids on garden plants and crops.
The degree to which they contribute to pollination is poorly understood, but no doubt is important for vegetable gardens, and fruit trees.