Image by Sarah-fiona Helme

'Summer Stripes,' a finalist in the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition.

This stunning image shows a flower fly (or hover fly, as it is commonly called in the United Kingdom) on a gazania flower.

Last week was national pollinator week here in the United States, but it’s always a good time to discuss the importance of pollinating insects.

Flower flies live on every continent except Antarctica and are pollinators of major economic significance. “In some agroecosystems, such as orchards, they outperform native bees in pollinating the fruits,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Flower flies look like wasps and bees, but can’t sting. This is a great example of Batesian mimicry, where a harmless species imitates a harmful species. In this case the harmless flower fly has evolved coloration that mimics the more dangerous stinging wasp or bee. The flower fly looks like a stinging insect, hopefully deterring predators, but without expending energy on developing and maintaining a stinger.

Congratulations to photographer Sarah-fiona Helme of South Lanarkshire, Scotland, who captured this image in her garden. Her photograph was a finalist in the 2009 International Garden Photographer of the Year competition.

‘Summer Stripes’ is on display at Kew Gardens near London until September 13, 2009.