The surefire way to know whether it’s a sweat bee or a corn fly buzzing around is if it stings. The halictid bee stings, but the corn fly, also called a hover fly, does not. “They’re mimics of bees, ...

Your first instinct when you spot a buzzing insect nearby is often to swat at it, but not every bug is a foe. Some are friends and worth a second look. Consider the hover fly, a tiny but mighty bee ...