Species Insects & ArthropodsMarmalade Hoverfly

Marmalade Hoverfly

Episyrphus balteatus

CommonInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

The Marmalade Hoverfly is one of the most recognizable hoverflies, with distinctive double orange-and-black banding on its abdomen that gives it a marmalade-like color pattern. It is a long-distance migrant, with millions moving south in autumn in Europe and across North America. Adults are excellent pollinators and can often be found hovering motionless at a fixed point before darting to flowers.

Habitat
Gardens, meadows, roadsides, and agricultural fields
Diet
Larvae: aphid colonies. Adults: nectar and pollen
How common
Common

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