Marmalade Hover Fly (Episyrphus balteatus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The Marmalade Hover Fly is a striped, stingless fly whose larvae eat aphids. It lives widely across Europe, northern Asia, and North Africa, and U.S. suppliers offer it for aphid control.

Appearance

Appearance: Adults are about 0.28–0.48 in (7.2–12.2 mm) long. The abdomen has paired black bands on segments two through four. The middle of the body is bluish gray, and the wings are clear.

Look-alikes

Western Honey BeeApis mellifera

The hover fly has one pair of wings, very large eyes, and short antennae. A honey bee has two pairs of wings, longer antennae, and a hairier body.

Why they get mixed upBoth visit flowers and have yellow-and-dark abdominal bands.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: flower gardens
field margins
open meadows
Range: This species is widespread in Europe, northern Asia, and North Africa.
Preferred conditions: Adults need flowers for nectar and pollen, while their larvae do best where aphid colonies are available.

Behavior

Diet: Adults drink nectar and eat pollen. The larvae hunt aphids on plants.

Life cycle

Larva: Females place white eggs close to dense aphid colonies. The eggs hatch in two to three days, and the legless larvae pass through three growth stages before on a leaf.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

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