Beneficial Insects and Pest Look-a-likes:
      How To Tell Friend from Foe

Stinging wasps are usually easy to tell apart from flies.
But this isn't always the case.

Some flies mimic wasps and bees to gain protection from predators. Hover flies are a common example.

Beneficial and Pest

Identified by:
 - does not hover in flight
 - large antennae and eyes
 - 4 wings, folded and norrow at rest

Pest

Identified by:
 - hovers in flight
 - tiny antennae, large eyes
 - 2 wings, not folded at rest