Flower Fly

Description:

"These black flies are often brightly colored with yellow bands that resemble a bee. They hover over flowers, beating its wings so fast you can hardly see them and staying in one spot like a hummingbird. They are usually a little larger than a housefly, about 1/3 to 1/2 inch long. Its oval eggs are white and are laid singly or in groups on foliage. The green to gray or even brown larva are about 1/2 inch long."

Habitat:

Found at the base of a rose bush that is heavily infested by aphids. Perhaps in it's dyeing days sense it didn't fly away and it lit me position it for pictures.

Notes:

"This fly is beneficial to the gardener and farmer in both the larvae and fly stages. If you notice these maggots on your flowers, hold off with your sprays and dust. In fact, you can attract the adult flies by providing flowers that bloom throughout the growing season."