Managed syrphid flies for pollination

IF 5.5 1区农林科学 Q1 BIOLOGY

Current opinion in insect science Pub Date : 2027-02-01 Epub Date: 2026-10-10 DOI:10.1016/j.cois.2026.101631

Manuela Sánchez, Belén Belliure, Warrick Nelson, Yelitza Velásquez

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

•
Syrphid flies are key natural pollinators and viable alternatives for diverse crops.
•
Pollinating syrphids comprise two subfamilies: Syrphinae and, mainly, Eristalinae.
•
Industrial mass-rearing of hoverflies is transitioning to commercial scales.
•
Research and development currently focus on field retention, protocols for pollination efficacy across crops, and expanding target Eristalinae species.
•
Technical optimizations are being developed to maximize open-field pollination.

Despite the essential role of insect pollinators for the production and quality of 80% of crops, and the increasing expansion of pollinator-dependent crops, only a few hymenopteran species are used as managed pollinators. Syrphid flies, considered the most important pollinators after bees, are not yet a technically viable tool, although they are receiving increased research interest to develop them as managed pollinators. We reviewed the most recent literature on syrphid fly pollination management with the aim of contributing to a broader understanding of their mass rearing, effectiveness, and the available pollination strategies for a wide array of crops. Recent advances in mass-rearing have enabled the commercial availability of select syrphid species as managed pollinators. Combined with the evaluation of additional candidate species and ongoing research into field deployment, these developments are strengthening the scientific basis for hoverfly pollination in high-value crops. Further research and technology transfer efforts are needed to adapt syrphid pollination protocols across a broader range of crops, cropping systems, and regions, ensuring their widespread adoption and significantly expanding the diversity of available managed pollinators.

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来源期刊

Current opinion in insect science BIOLOGYECOLOGYENTOMOLOGY-ECOLOGY

CiteScore

10.40

自引率

1.90%

发文量

113

期刊介绍： Current Opinion in Insect Science is a new systematic review journal that aims to provide specialists with a unique and educational platform to keep up–to–date with the expanding volume of information published in the field of Insect Science. As this is such a broad discipline, we have determined themed sections each of which is reviewed once a year. The following 11 areas are covered by Current Opinion in Insect Science. -Ecology -Insect genomics -Global Change Biology -Molecular Physiology (Including Immunity) -Pests and Resistance -Parasites, Parasitoids and Biological Control -Behavioural Ecology -Development and Regulation -Social Insects -Neuroscience -Vectors and Medical and Veterinary Entomology There is also a section that changes every year to reflect hot topics in the field. Section Editors, who are major authorities in their area, are appointed by the Editors of the journal. They divide their section into a number of topics, ensuring that the field is comprehensively covered and that all issues of current importance are emphasized. Section Editors commission articles from leading scientists on each topic that they have selected and the commissioned authors write short review articles in which they present recent developments in their subject, emphasizing the aspects that, in their opinion, are most important. In addition, they provide short annotations to the papers that they consider to be most interesting from all those published in their topic over the previous year.