ExBeeb

By Exbeeb

Marmalade Hoverfly

Or if you're into long words, it's a Episyrphus balteatus.

To be even more exact, it's a she. Apparently it's easy to tell the sex of a hoverfly just by looking at it's face, never mind the nether regions.

As with this one, the 'holoptic' eyes do not join up on the top of it's head, this shows it's a female. When you find one where the eyes join together, it's a boy.

These flies have evolved to mimic wasps, but the hoverfly is harmless and this one loves gorging on the nectar dripping from one of our fuschia bushes. Not only that, the larvae eat aphids, so there's a plus.

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