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Hoverfly sitting on the petal of Gerbera. They are speedy little things and appear to be able to be both coming and going at the same time!
+1 in comments with a bit more indication of scale
ODC Theme "coming and going"
These asters are proving the best place to photograph bees the last couple of days - or is this one a wasp? I'm not sure but anyway I like the angle of this with the beautiful blue sky. Update - I now know that this is a species of hoverfly!
Hoverflies, sometimes called flower flies, or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the larvae (maggots) eat a wide range of foods. In some species, the larvae are saprotrophs, eating decaying plant and animal matter in the soil or in ponds and streams. In other species, the larvae are insectivores and prey on aphids, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects.
Episyrphus balteatus, sometimes called the marmalade hoverfly, is a relatively small hoverfly (9–12 mm) of the Syrphidae family, widespread throughout the Palaearctic region, which covers Europe, North Asia and North Africa. 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 third and fourth dorsal plates and faint greyish longitudinal stripes on the thorax. Its color patterns may appear wasp-like to other animals, such as birds, protecting it from predation.
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 their 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 their heads.
On a window. The Sony RX10 Mk 4 focuses so close that if you stop down to f/16 with a UV filter on to protect the lens, any dust on the filter will be sharp! This was at f/2.4 hand held autofocus.
Hoverfly (Syrphidae) larva, possibly Meligramma triangulifera, on birch (Betula). Holme Fen National Nature Reserve, Holme, Cambridgeshire. Sunday 28th January 2018.
Side view of the same specimen as the previous image, showing its highly flattened body profile. The appendages at the left (rear) end are the breathing tubes, or posterior respiratory process (PRP). I don't know how other people feel about these larvae, but personally I find it difficult to warm towards any creature that breathes through its backside...
Dronefly hoverfly feeding on a crocus. Focus stacked using zerene.
Unfortunately the first crocuses in flower in my garden are in the shade and not attracting any bugs so I cheated by picking a flower and placing it on a sunny camellia bush. It quickly attracted a drone fly
Hoverflies, sometimes called flower flies, or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the larvae (maggots) eat a wide range of foods. In some species, the larvae are saprotrophs, eating decaying plant and animal matter in the soil or in ponds and streams. In other species, the larvae are insectivores and prey on aphids, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects.