Hoverflies are among the most important pollinators in the UK and globally, yet receive far less conservation attention than bees. Many species have declined sharply, with both ecological and potential welfare consequences.
Hoverflies face habitat loss through loss of wildflower meadows (97% lost in the UK since the 1940s), loss of veteran trees needed by saproxylic larvae, and intensified agriculture. Their welfare status is uncertain: hoverflies have smaller nervous systems than bees, but nociception and avoidance learning have been documented across dipteran species. The scale of hoverfly decline — representing billions of individuals across hundreds of species — is ecologically catastrophic and potentially welfare-relevant if flies have even limited subjective experience. Restoring wildflower habitat and veteran trees benefits hoverfly welfare and the broader invertebrate community simultaneously.