Hainault Forest Website

Written and Designed by © Brian Ecott

FAUNA

Diptera HOVERFLIES

Hoverfly hovering Eristalis horticola. Photo © Michael Rumble 17th July 2013

Hoverfly Eristalis horticola on Creeping thistle. 21st September 2011. Photo © Michael Rumble.

Hoverfly Eristalis arbustorum on ragwort, Hoghill.6th August 2012. Photo © Michael Rumble

Hoverfly Eristalis arbustorum on ragwort, Hoghill.6th August 2012

Hoverfly Eristalis horticola on ragwort.

Photo © Michael Rumble

Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus on spear thistle. Photo © Michael Rumble

Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus on Michaelmas Daisy. Photo © Brian Ecott

Footballer hoverfly Helophilus pendulus 13th August 2017 on Common Fleabane, back of Lake. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus on Crack willow and Michaelmas Dais

Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus approaching teasel flowers. Photo © Michael Rumble.

Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus on ivy (left) and on English marigold in the Wildlife Garden, (above).

Out from hibernation the Marmalade hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus on a Dandelion. 7th March 2015.

This magnificent picture of a Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea. Female. Note the Batman logo on the lower part of the thorax, Wing length 7-12mm.

19th September 2017. Photographed on an ivy leaf, © Raymond Small.

Batman hoverfly Myathropa florea 27th May 2013

Batman hoverfly Myathropa florea © Michael Rumble.

Batman hoverfly Myothropa florea nectaring on dog rose. 7th June 2015.

Batman hoverfly Myathropa florea on willow leaf 22nd July 2017. The Batman logo can be seen on its thorax. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Hoverfly Syritta pipiens on Common fleabane 5th Sept 2012.

Hoverfly Dasysyrphus venustus 17th June 2013

Hoverfly probably Xylota segnis on leaf 8th June 2013

This large hoverfly alongside the Greenbottle is Volucella inflata male. A woodland species. Photo © Michael Rumble 1st July 2017

HOVERFLY Volucella pellucens July 1978

Left: Hoverfly Volucella pellucens 14th July 2016.

Photo © Brian Ecott

Hoverfly Volucella pellucens 9th June 2016.© Brian Ecott

Hoverfly Volucella zonaria (above) on Sycamore, Hog Hill, above. Originally found on southern coast it is expanding its range from London into Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk

Hoverfly Volucella inanis (left) on stone parsley in the meadow 8th August 2016. A very large hoverfly. Photo © Michael Rumble

,Hoverfly Leucozona lucorum ♂ 21st June 2016 © Brian Ecott

In Autumn the Hoverflies Volucella zonaria and V. inanis pass freely into the wasp nest without being challenged and lay their eggs among the wasp grubs. The larvae are voracious feeders and feed on the wasps by grasping them over the thorax and abdomen where they are safe and are able top devour them. They overwinter in the nest and emerge in the spring as adult Hoverflies. The grey larva in the top left corner is Volucella zonaria. Photo © Brian Ecott 7th November 2017.

A small Hoverfly Sphaerophora scripta (left) on Stone parsley. Photo © Michael Rumble.

Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta (above) on creeping thistle. 8th July 2015

Hoverfly Sphaerophoria sp. female on ivy flower near Global café. Note the yellow antennae Photo © Brian Ecott. 22nd October 2017

A small Hoverfly Sphaerophora taeniata ♀. Kindly identified by "flecc" from the Natural History Museum's bug forum. Photo © Brian Ecott

A hoverfly Syrphus ribesi on Dandelion 18th April 2015

Left: Hoverfly Syrphus ribesi male on Knapweed.

Hoverfly Syrphus vitripennis 17th October 2017 on Hogweed.

Eristalis pertinax 6th September 2016 Brian Ecott.

Male Hoverfly Epistrophe eligans on Ragwort. The last two segments are triangular in the male. 23rd July 2017 Photo © Brian Ecott

Hoverfly Eristalis tenax on ox-eye daisy.

Rat-tailed maggot, larva of a hoverfly Eristalis sp. Lives in murky water.

Its extendable "tail" is a breathing tube, used to reach to the water surface to take in air

Hoverfly Eupeodes corollae on ox-eye daisy.