View allAll Photos Tagged hoverfly
Hoverfly
Insect
Although these brightly-coloured insects look like bees or wasps, they are in fact true flies and do not sting. Hoverflies are excellent examples of Batesian mimicry (named after H W Bates who first described it in 1862). They generally mimic bees and wasps – insects that sting and also taste unpleasant, so are avoided by predators. Drone-flies mimic honey bees, Volucella bombylans (pictured) has several different forms mimicking bumblebees, while others species are very convincing wasp mimics.
There are about 250 different hoverfly species in Britain. You can generally see plenty of adults on flowers throughout spring, summer and autumn. Hoverfly larvae are varied too – some even resemble small slugs. They all have different feeding habits. For example they may eat plants, feed on rotting wood and fungi, attack bulbs or parasitise other insects.
More well known and welcome in the garden are those that eat aphids and other pests eg Syrphus spp. Rat-tailed maggots, larvae of the dronefly Eristalis tenax, are found in polluted pools and extend their tail breathing tubes to the surface to breathe.
What does it eat?
Adults eat drink nectar and eat pollen and honeydew. Some species feed on dead insects. The larvae of different species eat different things. Some eat aphids.
When will I see it?
Between March and November, depending on the species.
Where will I see it?
Hovering near and resting on flowers. Many seem prone to entering conservatories and greenhouses.
Link -
www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guid...
May 27, 2019
The chive plant at my childhood home was in bloom. All the plants are so much ahead of ours up there.
We were there for the Memorial Weekend ceremonies and cookout.
Rockport, Massachusetts
Cape Ann - USA
Photo by brucetopher
© Bruce Christopher 2018
All Rights Reserved
...always learning - critiques welcome.
Tools: Canon 7D & iPhone 6s.
No use without permission.
Please email for usage info.
The quintessential yellow and black striped hoverflies, Syrphus species are a common site in any park or garden. There are three common and widespread species in the UK, ribesii, vitripennis and torvus, whilst a fourth species, rectus, has a poorly understood distribution having recently been added to the UK list. Syrphus species have long hairs on the dorsal surface of the squama (basal segment of wing) but this can be difficult to see, leading to confusion with other species which bear moustached bands, such as Eupeodes nitens and Parasyrphus species. All Syrphus species have at least the basal half of the hind tibia yellow.
I'm not sure about the ID so let me know if I've got this wrong.
I'm behind again after another busy week :( will try to catch up over the next day or two.
In the meantime HFDF and have a great weekend! :)
Thanks to Roger for confirming the ID.
Hoverfly in flight - Episyrphus balteatus in flight over a lace hydrangea bloom. Not sure why but the wings came out with rather good definition
Our local wood, Kent, UK
Members of this Hoverfly group are quite distinctive through the grey bars on the thorax, with its often brassy looking abdomen, and the distinctive dark marks on the wings. F. cuprea is described as being widespread, but rarely abundant.
Hoverfly, Eristalis pertinax I believe 🤔 I’m sure one of the experts on here will correct me if I’m wrong 😂
While I was taking a photo of my early flowering Magnolia stellata bud I noticed a what I think is a hoverfly also enjoying a rest on the bud.
It seems to me the tree is flowering early this year as there were quite a few flowers open I got back from Queensland. HWW
Hoverfly
My Canon RF 100 Macro arrived yesterday ( rare as hens teeth ) so had a play around with garden bugs. Not ideal conditions , windy and midday sun, so the flower was moving all over the place !
EOS R5 _ RF 100mm f2.8 Macro, taken from about 10 inches ( 1.4 mag.) 1/200 f9 iso 320 , flash ETTL. Hand held Manual focus