Marmalade Fly

This is the UK's most common hoverfly. There were masses on the allotment at the weekend - not unusual for Summer, although they can also be seen in lesser numbers throughout the year.

The adult hoverflies eat nectar and pollen whereas the larvae have an appetite for aphids - each larva can eat over 200 aphids during its development! So a very welcome guest on our plots. Interestingly, the temperature experienced by the growing larvae can determine how orange or dark the adult grows to be.