what is this fly
ken lawrence
Posts: 6
Hi I found this fly on numerous plants under a plum tree, when I said fly there were literally millions of them on the tops, undersides and stems I sprayed them with insecticide which got rid of them but they have started to reappear but not in the vast numbers as before. They are about 5 mill. in length. Can anyone help please
0
Posts
It's a wasp judging by the shape, probably one of the Chalcid wasps.
I think it may be Sepsis fulgens, an ensign fly.
If so, they are entirely innocent creatures whose only role in life is to process waste matter.
http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/sepsis-fulgens
A shame to kill things before you know what they are there for.
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
When you are confronted by millions of these what do you do? As I said there were millions of these and there totally obscured the plants they were on so naturally I got rid of them
There are millions of people in the world who are slowly but surely obscuring the world's vegetation. What would you suggest?
I don't believe that your argument holds.
Maybe you could potty train the local animals so that they don't leave their faeces lying around waiting for something to make it disappear.
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
To Pansyface I did not get rid of the vegetation I got rid of the flies as for the faeces there isn't any and I do not have any animals potty trained or not.
Well ensign flies eat faeces and if you have millions of ensign flies they must be eating something.
You asked for someone to identify them. They have been identified.
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
I'm with you guys condemning the " act first: think later" opinion
Please, please think before you destroy.
Oh Ken, you've got yourself into the naughty corner with this lot! It's one of the gardening learning curves that there are good insects and bad insects. I tend not to get rid of the bad insects because there'll be a good insect /bird along eventually to do the job for me. And if you get rid of the baddies there'll be no goodies (as there's nothg to eat) in your garden and so when you get an infestation you are stuffed. That, and it suits my lazy streak!
I call them flying ants. Though I know they're not that. They're sepsidae.
Leave them alone. They'll be gone quick as a flash. You'll likely see them again next year or the year after.
IF you're lucky and have housemartins, swifts and swallows they'll be delighted that you've got a perfect meal for them.
IF you're spraying insecticide all over without knowing what it is you're even killing then aside from that in itself being wrong in my opinion, also just be mindful that it's not discriminatory. It will affect bees and ladybirds and other things that you really shouldn't be killing.