In 1993 the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature placed the name on the Official List, and gave its gender as masculine, without justification for that choice.

[6] In 2004, Peter Chandler, Andrew Wakeham-Dawson and Angus McCullough submitted an application to confirm the gender of Eristalis as feminine.

[10] Since the origin of the genus Eristalis, many genera have been added that refine the description of Latreille such as Eristalinus, Meromarcrus, Palpada, Helopilus etc.

Those of Eristalis are very commonly found breeding in putrid or stagnant water or in moist excrement, and are called “rat-tailed maggots” or “mousies”.

[citation needed] Adults of Eristalis species such as the common drone fly (E. tenax) and the orange-legged drone fly (E. flavipes) are pollen and nectar feeders with hairy bodies capable of picking up and transferring pollen, and may act as keystone pollinators in some systems.

[17][18] On islands where bees are absent, their colour preferences may induce selection for higher proportions of yellow in flowers, and they can be seen as frequent and effective pollinators for plants like moon tree foil (Medicago citrina).

[18][19] The mobility of hoverflies may aid in long-distance pollen transfer, facilitating gene flow between unconnected plant populations.

[20] Some species, particularly E. tenax, have been suggested as candidates for a managed pollination alternative to European honey bees (Apis mellifera) due to their similar pollination efficacies, abundance, wide distribution, flight range, behavioural plasticity, and high reproductive success.

[21] Due to their ability to fly long distances, dispersal of captive-reared populations may pose a risk to nearby farm equipment and machinery.