The role of the hoverfly ( Episyrphus balteatus ) in greenhouse vegetable production: contributions as a pollinator and aphid predator

BACKGROUND: The hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus (Diptera: Syrphidae) contributes to crop pollination and biological control; however, these two essential ecosystem services are seldom jointly assessed. Here, we evaluate the pollination efficacy and aphid control performance of mass-reared E. balteatus in three greenhouse horticultural crops, i.e. tomato, eggplant, and muskmelon. In addition, fruit quality parameters were compared among crops subjected to hoverfly pollination and hormone treatment. RESULTS: Under E. balteatus treatments, fruit set in tomato, muskmelon, and eggplant was raised to rates above 97%. Hoverflies equally contributed to biological control of the aphid Aphis gossypii, achieving high control efficiency. The aphid biological control efficacy was 88% in muskmelon and 92% in eggplant under a hoverfly:aphid ratio of 1:200. Compared to hormone treatments, fruits pollinated by E. balteatus exhibited more symmetrical and rounded shapes along with enhanced nutrient content. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that hoverfly-mediated pollination and biological control services bolster the yield and quality of crops, providing forward momentum for more sustainable forms of agri-food production in China and abroad. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.