Marmalade hoverfly © Nick Upton/2020VISION
Marmalade hoverfly © Chris Lawrence
Marmalade Fly ©Sam Hockaday
Marmalade fly
Scientific name: Episyrphus balteatus
Our most common hoverfly, the marmalade fly is orange with black bands across its body. It feeds on flowers like tansy, ragwort and cow parsley in gardens, hedgerows, parks and woodlands.
Species information
Statistics
Length: 0.9-1.2cmConservation status
Common.
When to see
January to DecemberAbout
The marmalade fly is a very common hoverfly that can be seen in gardens, parks and sunny woodlands. Adults are on the wing right through the year, although appear in large numbers in the summer. They feed on nectar, gathering together on flowers like tansy, ragwort and cow parsley. The larvae are predators of aphids. As well as being a common breeding fly, in some years, huge numbers migrate here from the continent when they can be seen busily feeding on flowers near the coast.How to identify
The marmalade fly is our most common and familiar hoverfly, identified by its orange body with thick and thin black bands across it.In our area
We'd love to know if you've seen a marmalade hoverfly in Worcestershire. Please take a photo and let us know where and when you took it via our short wildlife sightings form. Thank you!