Hoverfly - Common Dainty (Baccha elongata)

Common Dainty (Baccha elongata) Wing length 4-8.25mm. Flight Apr-Nov

Species of the week – 10th November.

The first thing to notice about these hoverflies is that they look like no other hoverfly. They have this slender body with a wasp waist and hover around plants without visiting any actual flowers, or at least rarely. You might even wonder if they are in fact a hoverfly at all? Well yes, they are, they have the definitive vena spuria, the false unconnected vein, typical of all hoverflies, Syrphidae.

Hoverfly Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax)

Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) Size 9.75-13.0mm. Flight Mar-Nov.

Species of the week – 3^rd November.

This is a hoverfly that, as the name suggests, is common and can be spotted any month of the year. As I write this in November it is one of the few hoverflies that I can come across on a milder day, because females are known to hibernate. In Spring it is often one of the first hoverflies I see hovering in a shaft of sunlight, lekking over a dandelion flower in the hope of mating with a passing female. This hoverfly is known to dangle its legs as it hovers, so is identifiable in the air even if out of reach to see its markings. Come Autumn go to any Ivy bush in the sun and I am sure to see one of them, along with its cousin the Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax).  

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 - Greater Hornet Plumehorn (Volucella zonaria)

Greater Hornet Plumehorn (Volucella zonaria) Size: 15.5-19.5mm Flight: May-Nov

Species of the week – 6^th October

This is our largest hoverfly (In the U.K) and if you have seen one you can probably understand why it’s often mistaken for the European hornet Vespa crabo, and with good reason. Its markings mimic the hornet in both colouration and design, a classic example of Batesian mimicry. However, this hornet mimic will not sting, bite or get aggressive defending a nest, as it doesn’t have one and is often seen late summer and into autumn on a warm day.

 

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?

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 - 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 - 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.