FACT: Syrphid flies may look similar to bees or yellowjacket wasps, but they are harmless to humans. The adults usually can be seen feeding at flowers. Syrphid flies are particularly important in controlling aphid infestations early in the season and are capable of entering the tightly curled leaves some aphids produce.

Garden Insects of North America:
The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs
By Whitney Cranshaw

Garden Insects of North America is the most comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the common insects and mites affecting yard and garden plants in North America. In a manner no previous book has come close to achieving, through full-color photos and concise, clear, scientifically accurate text, it describes the vast majority of species associated with shade trees and shrubs, turfgrass, flowers and ornamental plants, vegetables, and fruits–1,420 of them, including crickets, katydids, fruit flies, mealybugs, moths, maggots, borers, aphids, ants, bees, and many, many more. For particularly abundant bugs adept at damaging garden plants, management tips are also included. Covering all of the continental United States and Canada, this is the definitive one-volume resource for amateur gardeners, insect lovers, and professional entomologists alike.

We invite you to check out more samples from the book at:
http://press.princeton.edu/titles/7713.html

Available in paperback.