Marmalade hoverfly

The marmalade hoverfly is a small fly with a distinctive orange-and-black banded abdomen, widespread throughout Europe, North Africa, and Asia and among the most abundant hoverflies in central Europe. Adults feed on nectar and pollen from a wide range of open-faced flowers and are significant pollinators, while the aphid-eating larvae each consume hundreds of aphids before pupating, making the species one of the main natural enemies of garden and crop aphids. It is partly migratory, with populations travelling seasonally across Europe. Its double role as pollinator and pest controller makes it highly valuable in gardens that offer open flowers and tolerate some aphids.

Nectar plants · 6

Widespread across the Palearctic: throughout Europe (the commonest hoverfly in central Europe), North Africa, and temperate to subtropical Asia. Partly migratory, with continental migrants augmenting more northern populations each spring and autumn.