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Not the Sun Fly, Pt. 2 - _TNY_7063

This visitor on the leaves of the spiked speedwell (Veronica spicata) is a Helophilus pendulus. Some call it "the footballer" due to the striped thorax (possibly liking Hull City then) and other refer to it as the sun hoverfly.

 

The latter isn't really good though as it is based on misreading the scientific name as Heliophilus instead of Helophilus. Helios is Greek for "sun", but since the "i" isn't suppsed to be there it's Helos which (still in Greek) means "marsh". Basically this is the dangling marsh-lover then. :)

 

Part 1, with the same fly landed on the flower of the speedwell can be found here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/49002163512/

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Uploaded on January 5, 2020
Taken on August 14, 2018