I can never get enough of hoverflies

They're such fascinating insects, and there are so many different shapes, sizes and colours. This one's in Carpentaria californica - another shrub i adore. Such a pervading but subtle scent.

are there lots of different species? i love them too, wouldn't be summer without seeing them hover about. one minute i look at one, think it's a wasp and then realise it's only one of these - wasps aren't my favourite creatures, i've been stung 3 times by them!

Yes, they come in all shapes and sizes Lilith. Tiny little things to great huge beasts, fat ones, skinny ones, ones with stripes, ones without, in lots of different colours, shiny ones, matt ones..........and so it goes on,lol.

I was surprised to learn that some of them even have an aquatic larval stage!

I like hoverflies too - especially as their larvae eat up aphids. They made mincemeat of my farmed black aphids this summer.

I could easily be wrong, but looks like Syrphus, an aphid predator.

http://home.hccnet.nl/mp.van.veen/KEYS/Syrphus/syrp_key.html

(If you really want to know everything there is to know about European hoverflies, go to the root of this page.)

I think you might be right. The picture on the site looks like the ones we have here but they are usually hovering so I can't be 100% sure. Their grubs certainly hoover up the aphids.

Philomel! That is an excellent photograph! It just shows me how I need to look in some of the forums I don't normally frequent. I am bound to be missing so much if I don't. :D

what an awsome shot!

Thanks for the link Lopho - fascinating - and for the kind words everyone. Yes, nice to see you here gw!

I was told while doing 6 months voluntary work at a museum's zoology department I should study Hoverflies if I want to be famous and forget about bats.