




Episyrphus balteatus
The Marmalade Hover Fly is a small, friendly insect that looks like a bee! It loves to fly around flowers and helps plants by spreading pollen.
Habitat: Urban areas
The Marmalade Hover Fly is a small, bee-mimicking insect with a bright orange and black striped abdomen, much like marmalade. It has large reddish-brown eyes and clear, delicate wings. Its clever mimicry makes it look like a stinging wasp or bee to predators.





Category
InsectsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Baby hover flies look like tiny slugs and are super hungry for aphids.
Some hover flies migrate thousands of kilometers, crossing continents!
They don't have mouths for biting, only a soft tube for sipping nectar.
This fly can fly backwards, just like a tiny helicopter in reverse!
Marmalade Hover Fly can hover perfectly still in mid-air, then dart off rapidly, helping them dodge danger and find flowers.
Marmalade Hover Fly larvae can gobble up hundreds of garden aphids, which helps plants stay healthy and grow strong.
Marmalade Hover Fly visits many flowers, collecting pollen on its fuzzy body that helps plants make new seeds.
Adults sip sweet nectar and pollen for energy, while their larvae are fierce hunters of tiny plant pests.
Age differences: Adults feed on nectar and pollen; larvae are carnivorous, preying on soft-bodied insects like aphids.
Aphis fabae
larvae actively hunt and consume these common garden pests.
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Taraxacum officinale
adults visit these flowers to collect nectar and spread pollen.
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Parus major
insectivorous birds may prey on adult hover flies.
Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.
Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.
Danger
1/5 · Very low
These flies are friendly and won't sting, so you can watch them safely!
12-18 mm
7-12 mm
10-30 days
10 km/h
Adults sip sweet nectar and pollen for energy, while their larvae are fierce hunters of tiny plant pests.
Urban areas
Foraging
6
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