Invertebrates
Marmalade Hoverfly
Episyrphus balteatus
Over a sunlit garden border, a marmalade hoverfly hangs motionless in the air, its orange body striped with black, before it flicks away to the next flower.
Overview
The marmalade hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus, is one of the commonest hoverflies in Europe and northern Asia, a small, orange-banded fly with aphid-eating larvae. Its hovering flight and huge seasonal migrations make it one of the most successful insects of gardens and hedgerows.
A migrant by the million
Each year vast numbers of marmalade hoverflies cross seas on migration, bringing the benefits of a free aphid-control service to gardens far to the north.
Status
Not Evaluated, but abundant and widespread.
Marmalade Hoverfly: common questions
Why is it called the marmalade hoverfly?
It has an orange abdomen with black bands, like the colour of marmalade.
Is the marmalade hoverfly useful?
Yes, its larvae eat hundreds of aphids each, making it a valuable natural pest controller, and the adults pollinate flowers.
Does it migrate?
Yes, in some years hundreds of millions move north across the Channel and North Sea in spring and south again in autumn.
Can the marmalade hoverfly sting?
No, it looks like a wasp but is a true fly with one pair of wings and no sting.