Found this little hoverfly this morning in one of my rosebushes. There was not much room to manouvre but in the end I managed this frame.
This is Episyrphus balteatus, sometimes called the marmalade hoverfly, is a relatively small hoverfly (9?12 mm) of the Syrphidae family, widespread throughout all continents. Like most other hoverflies it mimics a much more dangerous insect, the solitary wasp, though it is a quite harmless species. The upper side of the abdomen is patterned with orange and black bands. Two further identification characters are the presence of secondary black bands on the 3rd and 4th dorsal plates and of faint greyish longitudinal stripes on the thorax.
E. balteatus can be found throughout the year in various habitats, including urban gardens, visiting flowers for pollen and nectar. They often form dense migratory swarms, which may cause panic among people for its resemblance to wasps.
TenZ.NL is een gepassioneerde amateurfotograaf, met de nadruk op natuur in brede zin van het woord. In het dagelijks leven is hij voor z`n werk nog wel eens in het buitenland op karwei, indien het werk het toelaat gaat de camera mee... Read more…