Marmalade

Male Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Now that we're nearly to summer — though our recent weather seemingly belies that fact — we're starting to see plenty of the little orange Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus baleatus). With its small size, distinctive orange colour, and two black bands on each abdominal segment (one thick, one thin), it's a relatively easy species to identify. Males can be told from females by the size and shape of their eyes; females' eyes don't meet at the top of their heads, while males' do. Reputed to be the most common hoverfly species in the UK, Marmalade Hoverflies are found in gardens, grasslands, farmland and open woodland across the whole of the islands. The combination of easy identification and widespread distribution means it's one of the few hoverfly species to have a common name.

Marmalade Hoverflies are widespread across much of the Palearctic, from Europe and north Africa right across northern Asia. They're seen year round, even here in the UK. Though they breed in large numbers here, we also occasionally get massive numbers migrating from the continent. A friend in Cromer reported the massing of hundreds along the sea front this past week, for example, which may have come across the North Sea. Adults are nectar feeders, particularly fond of flat-topped flowers, including Tansy, Cow Parsley and Ragwort. The larvae feed on aphids, which makes them a very welcome addition to the garden. They're also a major form of biological control of aphids in commercial crops, helping to suppress dozens of species. Females lay their eggs (2000 to 4500 of them in a lifetime) on the underside of leaves near aphid swarms. Given the number and variety of aphids we're finding here, they should have a good buffet of options to choose from in our garden!