Insect Identification!

I was applying some thuricide this morning to control a caterpillar outburst on my lettuce beds. I noticed an abundance of tiny wasp like insects were also paying attention to my lettuce, but not the other plants. They would land on a leaf surface and inspect or clean the surface before moving to another plant. While I didn't get a photo, I'm hoping someone can identify the wasp/fly from my description.

They range in size from less than 1/4" to just under 1/2" long. Their abdomens are primarily yellow in color with six or seven thin black stripes horizontally across the abdomen. They don't seem to pay any attention to tomato blooms so I assume they are not pollinators. I'm hoping they are some variety of predator wasps. I haven't noticed any aphids or thripes or leaf miners on my plants and I'm curious if the wasps may be helping control them.

It's still to early in the spring for my normal control insects to appear. I haven't seen any spiders or ladybugs or lacewings yet.

Thanks

Ted

[Tracydr]

Do you have aphids on your lettuce? There are some flies like this that have larvae that eat aphids.

[Elizabeth]

It's probably some kind of Hover/Syrphid fly - they look like tiny bees or wasps with yellow & black stripes, and they are definitely a good guy. Their larvae love aphids. They prefer tiny flowers, or composite flowers (like marigolds and sunflowers) for nectar and pollen, and probably won't be interested in tomato blossoms.