The disgusting insect that is as important a pollinator as bees

It's National Pollinator Week, which calls to mind honeybees, bumblebees and butterflies swarming the garden, going from flower to flower in pursuit of nectar and pollen.

But there's another insect that's just as important as those pollinators, even though it's most commonly thought of as being annoying and gross while buzzing around roadkill and animal droppings.

That's right -- flies.

Help the pollinators: Here's how to attract bees, butterflies with a pollinator garden

Flies as pollinators

Flies are the second most important pollinating insects worldwide, according to Joe Boggs, assistant professor in Ohio State University's Department of Entomology and OSU Extension.

Writing for Buckeye Yard & Garden Online, part of the OSU Extension, Boggs says flies are commonly excluded from lists of pollinators or pushed to the back. "If the listings reflected the true significance of flies as pollinators, they would be in front of moths, butterflies, and beetles," he writes.

According to the Penn State Extension, flies are "critical pollinators" in both natural and agricultural settings. A crop analysis found that flies visited 72% of the 105 species studied, according to the extension. Bees visited 93%.

And flies can provide more consistent pollination in the early spring in some cases, according to Penn State, because they are more active in cooler temperatures.

Types of flies that are pollinators, including the housefly

Many different flies visit flowers, according to Penn State, but one of the most common is the adult syrphid fly, known as the "flower fly" or the "hover fly" for their distinct flying pattern. They have yellow- and black-striped bodies and can resemble bees, and have been observed at 50 different crop species.

Even the housefly is included. The flies we find the most annoying are important pollinators of crops like mango and avocado, according to Discover Pollinators.

Without flies, there would be no chocolate

The flowers of the cacao tree can only be pollinated by a specialized midge, part of the same biological family as flies, according to Discover Pollinators. Without those flies, cacao trees wouldn't produce seeds, from which chocolate is made.

How to attract flies to your garden

Flies are attracted to a variety of flowers. According to Penn State, they tend to prefer white flowers with an open structure for easy access.

According to the U.S. Forestry Service, the flowers that are pollinated by flies are pale and dull to dark brown or purple, and sometimes flecked with translucent patches. They have a putrid odor, like rotting meat, carrion or dung. The flowers produce pollen and are funnel-like or complex traps.

What is National Pollinator Week?

Pollinator Week is an annual "celebration of the vital role pollinators play in our ecosystems, economies, and agriculture," according to the Pollinator Partnership. It's a time to raise awareness about pollinators and ways to protect them.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is marking the week by discussing its herbicide strategy to protect over 900 federally threatened and endangered species, including pollinators.

“Pollinators are essential to human and ecological survival, with more than 150 food crops depending on pollinators in the United States alone,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a statement. “Theyalso help plants reproduce, which in turn helps keep the air we breathe clean, purify the water we drink, and prevent erosion of the soils, protecting us from climate disasters. Now more than ever, we must act to protect them.”

A cause to celebrate: Pollinator week brings awareness to pollination and honeybees

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Flies are just as important a pollinator as bees. Learn why