Episyrphus balteatus, (De Geer, 1776) commonly known as the Marmalade Fly, 6mm to 10.25mm.
United Kingdom’s most common hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus is a comparatively small hoverfly of the Syrphidae family.
Widespread throughout the Palaearctic region and can be found all over Europe, North Asia and North Africa. Adults can be seen on wing all year round in the U.K. Their numbers increase throughout springtime and peak in July, boosted with mass immigrations coming from abroad. This is an extremely variable species, adult colours do vary considerably, influenced by the temperature in which the larvae exist. Hot weather produces adults with more orange colour, larvae in cooler conditions produce darker coloured adults. The colour patterns mostly appear wasp like to other animals, such as birds; hence protecting it from predation.
The larvae feed on a wide range of aphids, adults feed on flowers like Tansy, Ragwort, Cow Parsley etc. and is among the very few species of flies capable of crushing pollen grains and feeding on them. ( In one of the images below a E.B was showing interest in a spiders prey suspended in a web)
Habitat…. hedgerows, farmlands, coastal, parks, woodlands, wetlands, meadows and gardens.
Males can be easily identified by their holoptic eyes (“holoptic eyes” are eyes that meet along the median dorsal line of the head) i.e., left and right compound eyes touching at the top of their heads. The female’s eyes like most other female hoverfly species, are set further apart.