Episyrphus balteatus
The girdled hoverfly or girdled hoverfly(s) (Episyrphus balteatus) is a species of flyinginsect of the order Diptera belonging to the family Syrphidae.
This hoverfly, whose aphidiphagous larvae develop at the expense of aphids, is used as a biological control agent.
It has been marketed in the EPPO region since 1995 to control aphids both in glasshouses and in open fields, notably in Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Slovenia.
It is one of the two most common species in Europe, and it has recently been shown that it is also a migratory species capable of travelling great distances, including over the English Channel or between England and Ireland (see the chapter on Syrphid flies in the article on insect migration). Some entomologists have compared its ability to optimise its migration to that of migratory birds.()
Appendices
Régule les bioagresseurs
