Hoverflies in Paintings

Hoverflies in Art:

When I first started my blog, I had this question about whether I could find and spot hoverflies on canvas or within historical books? I just wanted to see if they popped up anywhere at all. I figured old identification guides would have a few, but paintings? That felt like a long shot.

Fast forward a few months, and as I have been researching for my species articles I have stumbled across paintings and prints in books and to be honest, it’s been such a fascinating ride I would like to share! 

Turns out hoverflies have been making appearances in art way earlier than I ever imagined. So, I thought, why not pull all my findings together into one article? Up until now, the bits and pieces have been scattered across different posts on the site.

Here’s what I’ve uncovered so far: Updated 3rd Feb 2026 with better images from the paintings of the hoverflies.

         Still life with Bird’s nest - Jan Van Huysum (1718) & A stoneware vase of flowers - Jan Brueghel the Elder (1607-1608).

HoverflySpotter sightings w/c 18th Jan 26

Sightings from w/c 18th Jan 2026 - York, Monk Bretton, Garden & Old Moor Nature reserve

York

The weather has not been great these last few weeks, so instead I got stuck into a few jobs done around the house. It is also that time of year when Annual General Meetings (AGM) happen for several of the organisations I belong to.

The week started with a mini break to the city of York. 

It’s one of those places where there is so much to see and do, even with an annual visit every year for many years, there is still always something to discover, I love the place. Last year I went in search of, and to spot, the rare Tansy Beetle (Chrysolina grammis) the Jewel of York. To find out how I did, read my article within the British Naturalist Country-Side magazine vol 36 No.7 Winter 2025. It was a delight and surprise to see this street art from the hotel window.

https://bna-naturalists.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Country-Side-winter-2025.pdf

View from the hotel.....

Facts about Hoverflies volume 3:

Hoverfly Lifecycle

Like butterflies and moths a hoverfly lifecycle starts with an egg. These eggs hatch into a larva before going through 3 stages of larval developmental each of incremental sizes. They then pupate, before metamorphosing into an adult. See diagram below.

Diagram showing the simplified hoverfly lifecycle

A hoverfly egg can take 3 days to a couple of weeks to hatch. When the eggs are laid, they gain a waterproof coat called the chorion which prevents it from drowning or drying out, yet it is breathable to allow oxygen in and waste gases out. It is also, when laid, coated in a sticky adhesive ensuring the egg remains where the female chooses to lay it.

Hoverfly Genera

Acrostic hoverfly genera

Each slide explores a different genus: The genus name is split such that each letter forms a sentence, highlighting unique features of the incredible syrphids within each group, posted alongside artwork and habitat preferences.

All the photographs and artwork featured are my own, making this a truly personal project.
Just added Episyrphus 14th January, previously Scaeva,Syrphus,Volucella and Helophilus.

Thank you for your support—every visit helps in keeping this project thriving. 
Drop by often and enjoy the journey into the world of hoverflies genera!

Episyrphus

Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

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

Species of the week 11th 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.