Is it a bee? Is it a wasp? No, it’s a syrphid fly, and they are rather abundant this year. We’ve had several questions come into our offices about them. While at a cookout with my family this weekend, we got to experience dozens of them flying around and occasionally landing on us.

Syrphid flies (aka hover flies, flower flies, corn flies, helicopter flies, and sweat bees, among other names) range in size from ¼ to ¾ of an inch long and resemble bees and wasps with yellow, orange and black markings. Despite their appearance, they are not bees or wasps but flies in the family Syrphidae (thus the name syrphid flies). Like bees and wasps, the adults are often seen around flowers. There are several different ways you can tell them apart from one another:

1. Syrphid flies can ‘hover’ in the air while flying (it can seem like they’re floating), while bees and wasps cannot (when flying they’re always moving in one direction or another).
2. Look closely at the wings (easier said than done, I know). Flies have one pair of wings (2 total), while bees and wasps have two pairs (4 total). As the adage goes, two wings fun, four wings run.
3. You can also look at the antennae of the insects. Syrphid flies have small short antennae, while bees and wasps have longer, elbowed antennae.
4. Bees and wasps can sting, flies cannot. Probably not the way you want to determine if something is a bee or wasp, or a fly…

Despite their annoying habit of swarming and landing on us, presumably to get moisture and salt from our sweat, most syrphid flies are quite beneficial (there are a few species, such as the Narcissus bulb fly, that are considered pests). The adults are important pollinators and are often seen visiting flowers in gardens. Some popular flowers with these insects include Queen Anne’s lace, sweet alyssum, coriander, dill, and other small-flowered herbs.