Are Hoverflies the Masters of the Air?

Hoverfly morphology: the wings

The function of any wing be it an insect or a bird is to give it maneuverability to help catch its prey, avoid a predator, and maybe even assist in mating. 
 
Ever seen a hoverfly just hovering around flower petals, leaves or a stem infested with aphids?
 
It’s probably a female and what it is trying to do is lay an egg on the plant without the aphids sending out chemical alarm calls. The egg of that hoverfly if laid successfully will hatch and mature into a hoverfly larva that will eat the aphids whilst it develops into an adult several weeks later. It goes without saying that this is why hoverflies are a gardener’s best friend, as they offer free pest control, if they are encouraged into your garden.
 
I am no physicist, and the purpose of the blog is not to even try to explain the process of flight. I hope however to ask the question of whether hoverflies are masters of the air, being able to frankly hover.

Hoverfly - Yellow-barred Peat (Sericomyia silentis)

Yellow-barred Peat hoverfly (Sericomyia silentis) Size: 9.5-14mm Flight: May-Nov.

Species of the week – 29^th September

This hoverfly was the star species w/c 15th September and for good reason. It was not only a new species for the year but according to my records a new one ever. What was strange was that it was observed and identified in a Sheffield garden, not in the uplands where this would be typically found. As its name implies it is one of those hoverflies associated with uplands, as its long-tailed larvae are often found in peaty pools or wet rotting wood, feeding on the detritus soup.
 
So why was it discovered in a Sheffield garden when it favours acid wetlands and heathlands?

Thought for the week - Autumn

How to Save the World

If we truly wish to save the world, the most powerful step we can take is to nurture a deeper sensitivity to nature and embrace the joy it brings.

• Become more aware of the natural world—noticing its beauty, complexity, and importance in our lives.

• Develop empathy and respect for all living things—plants, animals, and ecosystems.

Hoverfly sightings w/c 22nd Sept 2025

When spotting hoverflies out in the field I try to find that hoverfly hot spot, this might be a glade, a woodland edge or just a flower bed. At this time of year finding that hotspot becomes a little more challenging as most of the flowers are past their best. But there is one plant that comes into its own at this time of year and that is the flowering of Ivy Hedera helix. I let it grow in my garden in the hope that come autumn it might become a hoverfly hotspot.

Hopefully I have grown a good crop and over the coming weeks it will provide me many hours of hoverfly watching just outside my backdoor.

Hoverfly - Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

Footballer (Helophilus pendulus) Size: 11-15mm Flight: Apr- Oct.

Species of the week – 20th September

If you have a pond then this hoverfly is a likely visitor to your garden, especially around July when their numbers peak. Although its now coming to the end of its season there are still a few about, often seen basking on a leaf. See blog Garden Hoverflies

The thorax has pale yellow stripes and because of this is commonly called the footballer, as it resembles a football shirt, in particular Hull City with their amber and black striping. Other names for this wonderful species are the Tiger, which is the nickname for said football club. It is also the thorax design of this blogger's logo, chosen because of its distinctiveness. The rest of the logo design is not of Helophilus, however more information about this in a future post.

Hoverfly sightings week commencing 15th Sept 2025

Tale of Two Gardens

Stairfoot Garden 15th Sept – around 4pm

It's been a bit of a mixed weather week, a little wet & windy although still quite warm. The flora in my garden is now a little sparse, but it was nice to have the Great Pied Volucella pellucens drop in to visit the still flowering buddelia, this was the first sighting for the year in the garden.

Hoverflies Logged: 

Great Pied (Volucella pellucens), Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii)

Facts about hoverflies

Things to know about hoverflies:

     1. Hoverflies are flies meaning they have 2 wings instead of 4 like Bees, Wasps & Ants. The 2nd pair of wings have devolved into club-like structures called halteres that act as a gyroscope. They can even fly backwards as well as hover.

Hoverfly sightings September 13th 2025

Stairfoot walk along the Dearne 13^th Sept 2.30-4pm

16 degrees, sunny intervals slight breeze

We went looking for migrating butterflies and hoverflies after watching a video by Trevor Pendleton on the Youtube channel 'Ramblings of an Entomologist'. See link below if you would like to watch.

https://youtu.be/eobOGqYFjxA?si=itQN-q0OpCOZaA9b

We certainly didn’t get a Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) but we did see a Large White (Pieris brassicae) in a hurry heading in the Sheffield direction, was it migrating?? There were however a few Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), a Small White (Pieris rapae), a couple of Speckled Woods (Parage aegeria) and a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) in amongst the bramble, not sure they were going anywhere.

On the Hoverfly front:

Hoverfly - Striped-backed Glimmer (Riponnesia splendens)

Striped-backed Glimmer (Riponnesia splendens) Size: 5.5-7mm Flight: May-Sep

Species of the week – 13^th Sept

This is not a common species and would seem to be localised, with only 1479 records listed on NBN as of September 2025

https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NBNSYS0100005170#overview

This species is in a genus all by itself within the U.K, having previously been listed under the genus Orthonevra due to its morphological likeness. Prior to this it was classified in 1822 under the genus Chrysogaster, again a not too dissimilar morphological grouping.

Hoverfly sightings September 2025

This page will list hoverflies and notable species seen at various locations within the UK throughout the year.

♂= male   ♀=female

Barnsley Main 11th Sept 12-1pm

Not much around temperature 15-16 degrees, winds gusty with sunny intervals.

♀ Footballer (Helophilus pendulus) warming up on a bramble leaf, ♀ Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) + two unknown sex, Cheilosia sp, ♀ Lunuled Apideater(Eupeodes luniger) all on ragwort. 4 species seen

Wosborough Reservoir 5th Sept 12-4.30pm

Hoverflies Wildguides Book Review

Hoverflies: of Britain and Ireland 3^rd Edition

Stuart Ball and Roger Morris
WildGuides (pbk) published 2024

344 pages, 1048 colour photos, 162 colour distribution maps, 53 tables

ISBN 978-0-691-24678-9

https://www.nhbs.com/search?q=hoverflies&qtview=203528

This website would not exist if it were not for the 1^st edition of the book. I learnt so much about hoverflies from that book. It now being well travelled and a little battered, so it sits on my shelf having produced many years of service.

If you are visiting this website, chances are you might already have a copy of this book however if you are just getting into Hoverflies and live in the UK & Ireland then this is the book to start with.

Hoverfly - Yellow-girdled Fleckwing (Dasysyrphus tricinctus)

Yellow-girdled Fleckwing (Dasysyrphus tricinctus) 7.25-10.25mm Flight: Apr-Sep

Species of the Week - 6th Sept

Yellow-girdled fleckwing (Dasysyrphus tricinctus) is a widespread but not an abundant hoverfly, with August/September being a good time to spot them as adults are known to visit yellow composites and white umbellifers, particularly on edges of lowland woodlands, parklands and coniferous forests. 

Hoverfly Art: Volucellae and Bees

Investigating Hoverfly Art

Animal Coloration: F.E.Beddard (1892)

In perusing the internet about Hoverflies I came across this print titled ‘Volucellae and Bees’ Plate IV, from a book by Frank Evers Beddard titled Animal coloration: An Account of the Principal Facts and Theories Relating to the Colours and Marking of Animals (1892) illustrated by Peter Smit and published by Swam Sonnenschein & Co.