Flower flies, a.k.a. hover flies, are common garden visitors, but they are often overlooked. The reason they are so often overlooked is because they are extraordinary mimics, usually of bees or wasps. Their mimicry is so good, that flower flies are often mistakenly identified as bees in social media posts, […]
Flower fly
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Hi Everyone! On today’s episode of Backyard Ecology we talk with Dr. Kirsten Traynor, a research associate at Arizona State University and the editor of 2 Million Blossoms, a quarterly magazine dedicated to protecting our pollinators. Our conversation takes a curvy, twisty path that covers multiple different topics including what […]
Over the last few months, I’ve been researching and working on a new project. Today I’m super excited to announce that I am launching a Backyard Ecology podcast! For those who might be wondering, a podcast is kind of like an audio version of a blog. I started listening to […]
The wavy leaf aster (Symphyotrichum undulatum) is a late blooming wildflower that is native to most of the eastern U.S. It is fairly common throughout much of its range and can be found growing wild in dry, open woods and along woods edges. Like many of our other asters, wavy […]
Many people believe that nature is only “out there” – in national parks, other large chunks of pristine land, or some far-off exotic place. For a long time, I did too. But the truth is that nature is everywhere and there are still plenty of discoveries to be made about […]
The springbeauty (Claytonia virginica) is native to most of the eastern half of North America. It can be found growing in rich, moist woods and occasionally in semi-shaded lawns that don’t get mowed early in the season. Springbeauties prefer rich soils full of organic matter and hummus, but can tolerate […]
When is a bee not a bee? When it is a hoverfly! Hoverflies are flies that look like bees or wasps. Their disguise is very good and casual observers often mistake them for small bees or wasps. Hoverflies, also known as Syrphid flies or flower flies, are found on every […]