syrphid fly

American  

Also syrphus fly

noun

1. any of numerous beelike or wasplike flies of the family Syrphidae that feed on the nectar and pollen of flowers and have larvae that feed on decaying vegetation or prey on aphids.

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Example Sentences

Nixon argued against the evil deeds of the New Deal as effectively as he had urged the good works of the praying mantis and the syrphid fly.

From Time Magazine Archive

The loudly buzzing syrphid fly, often mistaken for a bee, lays its eggs on leaves of aphis-infested plants; the hatching larvae then consume immense numbers of aphids.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson