he control of aphids in agriculture has been a significant force in learning more about a group of flies in the family Syrphidae—the hover flies/flower flies. The larval stage of many hover fly species are direct predators of aphids, a major pest in agriculture and sometimes in the garden, especially on milkweed. Their benefit is not limited to predation, however. Hover flies are also very important pollinators, mimicking the other very important pollinators, bees.
Betsy Betros’s lifelong love of insects began in childhood, then she went on to earn a degree in entomology from Colorado State University, focusing mostly on aquatic insects. She worked for 35 years for the Environmental Department of Johnson County, Kansas, and worked to earn a Master’s degree from Kansas University in environmental health. She taught environmental science for 15 years, part time at Johnson County Community College, and found time to write a book on the butterflies of the Kansas City Region, which was published in 2008. In her retirement, Betros studies and photographs invertebrates on her five acres of land. So far, she has submitted more than 4,000 of her invertebrate images to Bugguide.net, including several rare species.
This master class, to be held via Zoom, will include a 50-minute presentation and at least a 10 minute question-and-answer session. A recording will only be available to those who have registered.
Cost: Free to all MPF dues-paying members and Grow Native! professional members, or $15 for non-members. Visit our MPF membership page to become a member and attend all master classes for free!
For those who are part of the Grow Native! Professional Certification Program (GNPCP), this master class counts as one CEU. To register for the class, use the registration link above and see details about earning GNPCP CEUs here. If you have questions about registration, contact outreach@moprairie.org.
Photo of hover fly on woodland spiderwort by Hayley Howard.