Yellowjacket hover fly

Forests and Woodlands, Rotting and Decaying Matter

Forests and Woodlands, Urban and Suburban Areas, Agricultural and Cultivated Areas, Flower-rich Habitats

As adult yellowjacket hover fly often feed on nectar and pollen, sweet substances like sugar water, ripe fruit, or flower-scented baits can be used to attract them.

The larvae of yellowjacket hover fly often thrive in decomposing wood or in wet, rotting vegetation, typical of wooded areas or forests. Searching there, one would sift through decaying logs or leaf litter. Adults, notable for their mimicry of bees or wasps, frequently visit flowers for nectar and can be found in gardens, meadows, or anywhere flowering plants are abundant. A likely search method includes observing these insects as they forage on flowers during sunny periods. To find the pupae of yellowjacket hover fly, look near the larval habitat, as pupation usually occurs in concealed locations such as under bark or in the upper layer of soil littered with organic debris.

The best time to find adult yellowjacket hover fly is on warm, sunny days when flowers are in bloom, as this is when they are most active. For the larvae, they can often be sought after during the growing season when aphid populations are high.

Sunny and calm weather conditions are ideal for locating adult yellowjacket hover fly, as they prefer to fly and feed in these conditions. Larvae can be sought after in most weather conditions but are easier to find when it's not too wet, as excessively damp conditions can make their normal habitats less accessible.