Recently I noticed this little grub on my roses and immediately assumed it was about to feast on my plants.  For some reason though I hesitated in pulling it off the petal and throwing it over the balcony (that’s the usual punishment for any garden pest on my plants).  Could it be a garden friend or was it a foe? 

I watched the little green grub for a few minutes before I recognised it as the larvae of a hoverfly.  This meant it was a good guy!  They feed on sapsucking insects like thrips and aphids.  In the photo below you can see the larvae feeding on an aphid, with the shell of a dead aphid to the left.  Who needs to worry about spraying when you’ve got these guys working for you?

To attract hoverflies into your garden make sure you have plenty of flowering plants as the adults feed on nectar and pollen.  Below you can see a hoverfly feasting on the pollen of the Mexican Day Flower (Commelina coelestis). I watched for several minutes as the hoverfly methodically gobbled up all the pollen.  It was fascinating.

PS Don’t forget to check out The Plant Addict Shop while you’re here. 

You’ll find great gift ideas for garden lovers and fellow plant addicts!