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First of all the word "Syrphidae" is the scientific translation for a fly family. In English also known as a Hoverfly (UK) or Flower fly (US). See for translations in other countries in the table below. Hoverflies use mimicry to hide from their enemies (mostly birds or other insects but also from you...). It is therefore that Hoverflies are quickly mistaken for wasps, bees or bumblebees. The below images gives you an illustration of that effect:
| Other insects: | Bumblebee | Wasp | Wasp |
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| Hoverflies: | Pocota personata | Volucella zonaria | Chrysotoxum bicinctum |
Hoverflies do size from 3 mm to 25 mm. In colour Hoverflies look sometimes yellow, orange, red, brown, metallic or black and any combination in between. They can also look slim and bold or fat and hairy. Because of this variety it is why this group is so attractive to work on and is studied very well over the past centuries. The first species where scientifically described in by Linnaeus in 1758. Currently there are around 5500 different hoverfly species described around the world. But even now new species can be discovered.
Where in our tree of life can we find the Syrphidae scientifically?
? extra terastial life
Life on earth
Eukaryota (Plants, organisms, animals)
Metazoa (all Animals)
Bilateria (Animals except jellyfish like animals)
Arthropoda (Insects, spiders, crabs, etc.)
Hexapoda (insects, springtails, diplurans and proturans)
Insecta (insects)
Pterygota (winged insects)
Neoptera (bugs, beetles, wasps, moths, flies, etc.)
Endopterygota (Insects with complete metamorphosis.)
Diptera (2 winged insects)
Brachycera
Cyclorrhapha
Aschiza
Syrphoidea
Syrphidae
(source: Tree of life)
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| Scientific | Syrphidae |
 | Hoverflies |
 | Sírfidos |
 | Schwebfliegen |
 | Syrphes |
 | Svirrefluer |
 | Kukkakärpäset |
 | Flowerflies |
 | Zweefvliegen |
 | Pestřenkovití |
 | Bzygowate |
 | Blomsterfluer |
 | Blomflugor |
 | Журчалки |
 | Žiedmusės |
 | 食蚜蝇科 |
| ... | |
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