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Portrait female marmalade hoverfly, made with magnification 5 and f/14 using a Canon 7D and a Canon MP-E 65mm/2.8. It is a single picture. The large version can be seen at
Episyrphus balteatus, sometimes called the marmalade hoverfly, is a relatively small hoverfly (9–12 mm) of the Syrphidae family, widespread throughout all continents. Like most other hoverflies it mimics a much more dangerous insect, the solitary wasp, though it is a quite harmless species. The upper side of the abdomen is patterned with orange and black bands. Two further identification characters are the presence of secondary black bands on the 3rd and 4th dorsal plates and of faint greyish longitudinal stripes on the thorax.
E. balteatus can be found throughout the year in various habitats, including urban gardens, visiting flowers for pollen and nectar. They often form dense migratory swarms, which may cause panic among people for its resemblance to wasps. It is among the very few species of flies capable of crushing pollen grains and feeding on them. The larva is terrestrial and feeds on aphids. As in most other hoverflies, males can be easily identified by their holoptic eyes, i.e., left and right compound eyes touching at the top of the head (source: Wikipedia).
Hoverfly feeding on crocus flower. Focus stacked using zerene. Using a canon 60mm EF-s macro lens with 65mm of ext tubes
The size of hoverflies varies, depending on the species. Some, like members of the genus Baccha, are small, elongate and slender, while others, like members of Criorhina are large, hairy, and yellow and black. As members of Diptera, all hoverflies have a single functional pair of wings (the hindwings are reduced to balancing organs). They are brightly colored, with spots, stripes, and bands of yellow or brown covering their bodies. Due to this coloring, they are often mistaken for wasps or bees; they exhibit Batesian mimicry. Despite this, hoverflies are harmless.
With a few exceptions ), hoverflies are distinguished from other flies by a spurious vein, located parallel to the fourth longitudinal wing vein. Adults feed mainly on nectar and pollen. They also hover around flowers, lending to their common name.
Wikipedia]
Brambles have been ripening all over the countryside for weeks. This tiny hoverfly is checking on the progress of some near West Kilbride.
Not sure what it is on, maybe a catsear?
Anyway, to see nature this close and detail is mindblowing.
Hoverfly (Syrphidae) larva, possibly Meligramma triangulifera, on birch (Betula). Holme Fen National Nature Reserve, Holme, Cambridgeshire. Sunday 28th January 2018.
The ID is tentative, as this specimen has clearly been here for so long that it was covered extensively with greenery, but it seems to match the description and image in the excellent colour guide by Rotheray (downloadable from diptera.info/downloads/df_1_9_Colour_Guide_to%20Hoverfly_...).
This lovely little hoverfly was totally unaware, what lay waiting under the petals of this beautiful rose! I took a few shots of it landing and feeding crawling around very close to the hidden beastie. Escaped for this day! Have a great day HBBBT ;0)