View allAll Photos Tagged hoverfly
Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus on the backdoor frame. Air temperature about 1'C. Focus stacked using zerene
From 'Wikipedia': 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. Some adult syrphid flies are important pollinators.
About 6,000 species in 200 genera have been described. Hoverflies are common throughout the world and can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Hoverflies are harmless to most other animals despite their mimicry of the black and yellow stripes of wasps, which serves to ward off predators.
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This is a very distinctive species with its two yellow bands, the chocolate wing patches and the long, forward pointing antennae. Common in Norfolk apparently
Hoverfly feeding on crocus flower. Focus stacked using zerene. Using a canon 60mm EF-s macro lens with 65mm of ext tubes
Hoverflies are a fascinating group of insects and there are over 280 species in Britain .... as they are brightly coloured and very common in gardens many people will confuse them with bees and wasps because of those familiar black and yellow markings, however Hoverflies are totally harmless.