Humming Flowerfly (Syrphus ribesii)

Discover the hoverfly that delivers the news & sings.

Humming Flowerfly (Syrphus ribesii) 

Wing Length 7.25-11.5mm. Body size 9-13mm

Flight. Apr-Nov

Species to spot in June July

I’m a little late with June’s species of the month—unusual for me—but I’ve recently been “whispered” some good news… by a hoverfly no less, more on that in a moment.

Have you ever walked along a path or paused near a sunlit glade and noticed flies hovering at about head height? Darting, stopping, then settling briefly on a leaf before lifting off again? Chances are it might be this species of hoverfly.

Narcissus Bulb fly (Merodon equestris)

Discover the Darker side of Hoverfly Ecology

Narcissus Bulb fly (Merodon equestris) 

Wing Length 8.5-10.25mm Body Length 10-14mm Flight late Apr-early Jul.

Species to spot in May

Have you ever planted bulbs that never quite made it to flowering, and you’re left wondering why? If you’re fairly sure they haven’t been dug up by a local grey squirrel, this hoverfly might be the hidden culprit.

It’s a remarkable species with around 34 different disguises, often easily mistaken for several types of bumblebee. The adults begin emerging from the soil from late April through to the end of June, so it’s well worth checking your bulb pots. You might spot one warming up in the sunshine or drying its wings on the leaves of your plants.

Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) Wing length: 6-10.25mm. Flight: All year.

Species to spot in January

If there is one hoverfly everyone probably can spot and maybe even identify it's the Marmalade hoverfly. It is found in most habitats, but especially common in and around the flowers in one’s garden and by far the commonest hoverfly in the country. It is also migratory and has on occasion caused alarm when they invade from the continent in their thousands. They even reached the broadsheets one year causing mass panic to the un-informed, who mistook them for wasps.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/aug/03/sillyseason.science

They are not only great pollinators but are also, due to volume in numbers, a superb natural pest controller, worthy of attracting to the garden. Encourage them to lay their eggs (white) so that the emerging larva can feast on the aphids in your vegetable patch, and you may get a better crop of cabbages, as they particularly like those aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae). The larvae which are legless, translucent with orange markings, can eat up to 400 aphids during development to adulthood. It would be nice to think that gardeners and farmers could leave these little ‘superheroes’ to resolve these pest problems, rather than with artificial solutions, especially during their peak months July to August.

Hoverfly - Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii)

Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) Size 7.25-11.5mm. Flight. Apr-Nov

Species of the week – 13th October 

As the nights draw in and the days get colder, windier and wetter the chances to see hoverflies decrease. However, on those warmer days, with a little searching for that hoverfly hotspot, they can be found. 

One of the species still around in numbers is the Common Banded hoverfly (Syrphus ribesii). They are one of those species where the common in the name does actually mean its common unlike Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago or Common Crane Grus grus. Other names for it are the Common Flower fly, as they are often referred to as flowerflies not hoverflies in the Americas. It is also known as the Humming Banded fly, a naming more related to its behaviour, and one I prefer, if it should become less common.

Hoverfly - Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

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

If you have a pond then this hoverfly is a likely visitor to your garden, especially around July when their numbers peak. 

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. 

Here is a caricature of Helophilus as a footballer at the world cup 26

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 - Batman (Myathropa florea)

Batman (Myathropa florea) 7.5-12.8mm Flight: May-Oct.

Species of the week - 30th Aug

Batman (Myathropa florea) so named because of the markings on the thorax which resembles the batman motif, which makes this very distinctive and easy to identify in the garden. But if you are struggling with seeing that image, due to variation, then try to visualise a human face as its other common name is the dead head fly due to the pattern resembling a 'death mask'. Often seen around landing platforms of an umbellifer or ivy flowers, with the male hovering in a shaft of sunlight just above a flower as it waits for a lady to land.