The drone fly (Eristalis tenax) is the most widely distributed hoverfly in the world, native to the Palearctic and now established on every continent except Antarctica. Adults closely mimic honeybees in appearance but are harmless flies; they feed on nectar and pollen from a broad range of open flowers, particularly umbellifers such as fennel and carrot, and composites such as asters and daisies, and are significant pollinators in many systems. Larvae, called rat-tailed maggots, develop in stagnant organically polluted water such as drainage ditches and manure pools, breathing through a long extendable tail-like siphon. In gardens, adults are especially active in late summer and autumn and are among the commonest hoverfly visitors to flowering ivy in autumn.

Nectar plants · 4

Cosmopolitan; native to the Palearctic but introduced to North America, Australasia, and other regions. Present on every continent except Antarctica. In North America ranges from Alaska south to California and Florida. Less common in arid zones and extreme southern latitudes. Adults are migratory; large-scale coastal migrations have been recorded historically in North America, and seasonal dispersal between habitats occurs in Europe.