View allAll Photos Tagged hoverfly
This is a species of Hoverfly with I had been hoping to photograph for some time now, for obvious reasons of course. The first time I found one on the Mendips was nearly 8 years ago and searched ever since without much luck.
Seems I should have been looking a little closer to home as we discovered quite a few of these little hoverflies, just a short walk from our house.
On an earlier visit when checking the Wasp Spiders, we spotted one only to then watch a wasp grab it and duly dispatch it. The weather had not been ideal for macro photography so I have waiting for an opportunity to photograph one.
I had started to think I may have missed the window but managed to find one last weekend albeit quite late in the session as the wind had started to pick up. In the end managed to get a small number of sharp images with this one being the best.
Best viewed very large.
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You can see more of my images on my other flickr account Heath's moth page
I captured this hoverfly at the Alaska Botanical Gardens in Anchorage. It was distinctly different from some of the other hoverflies so I submitted it to my iPhone app iNaturalist for identification where they've identified it as Helophilus intentus.
Taken 19 July 2018 at Botanical Gardens, Anchorage, Alaska.
If you like this check out my top 50 shots at: www.flickr.com/photos/andygocher/sets/72157646224415497/
The eastern band-winged hoverflies were out in force on the Gregg's mistflowers at the Wildflower center...
Hoverfly, visiting a dwarf Hypericum at Holehird Gardens. There are lots of unusual plants at Holehird and this Hypericum was just a few inches high.
Another shot below.
This hoverfly looks like a dangerous, stinging hornet but is quite harmless. This mimicry helps keep predators, such as birds away.I really like it's colour... shame it landed on the highest flower from me.
I do love to try and photograph bees and hoverflies.
This was captured using my mobile phone.
Eristalis tenax is a hoverfly, also known as the drone fly, of the order Diptera. (Diptera is an order of winged insects commonly known as flies).
Diptera is one of the three largest and most diverse animal groups in the world.
Eristalis tenax is common, migratory and cosmopolitan; it is the most widely distributed syrphid species in the world and is known from all regions except the Antarctic. It has been introduced into North America and is widely established. It can be found in gardens and fields all over both Europe and Australia, but have also been found in the Himalayas.
Hoverflies, also 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.
Hoverflies are fantastic, fascinating insects to have in the garden. ... As well as helping to pollinate the flowers in your gardens, the larvae of many hoverflies have a voracious appetite for aphids and other garden pests, so it's just as important to provide for them as you would other pollinators.
You don't get the scale from this photo. The yellow flower is only about 1cm across and the hoverfly is tiny. I'm still not sure of the species.
Hoverflies, also 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.
Lots of hover flies about at the moment but funny they is not much else in the garden.
Does a FLY count towards a fishing theme.
Hoverflies hunt for aphids so are great visitors to your garden...they are very hard to see as this one would be only about 5mm.
Another view of this brightly marked hoverfly. The markings are clearly meant as a form of Aposematism to stop it being predated, however in this case it is more likely a case of mimicry.
Best viewed very large.
Visit Heath McDonald Wildlife Photography
You can see more of my images on my other flickr account Heath's moth page
Social distancing maintained 😊
Hoverflies are a fascinating group of insects, there are over 280 species in Britain. They are often brightly coloured and very common in gardens, many having black and yellow markings making it easy at a first glance to confuse them with bees and wasps, however hoverflies are totally harmless. They are good pollinators and the larvae of several common species have a voracious appetite for aphids! And best of all, most species are very patient whilst you get up close to photograph them. 😁
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