Hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) in a rural garden and their potential for citizen science

Abstract

In a rural garden in the southwest of the Netherlands, 48 species of hoverfly were observed, belonging to 28 genera. All but one species are common in the Netherlands. Gardens are a natural habitat for many hoverflies. Both species diversity and the abundance of hoverflies can be high, making hoverflies good indicators for an ecological garden health index for insects. The potential contribution of citizen science to gain more ecological knowledge of hoverflies in gardens is discussed. This study shows that photographic capture and biometrical identification are suitable for citizen science projects on hoverflies.