Marmalade

Its been another gorgeously sunny spring day, the last I fear for a little while now, as the weather is due to change.  I've been out on safari in the back garden looking at the various hoverflies this afternoon.  I think this marmalade fly was easily the most attractive .

I'm gradually getting a little bit better at identifying the more common hoverflies (such as this one) and managed to correctly guess that this was Episyrphus balteatus, although I needed specialist help to establish that it is the female. You can apparently tell from the more pointed rear end of the female fly.


I've put up an extra of the insect in flight so you can see it from a slightly different angle.