Kim Taylor / Drone / Hover Fly (Eristalis tenax) female against a white background. Surrey, UK, May.

Stephen Dalton / Hoverfly (Eristalis tenax) taking off from Snapdragon flower, UK

Stephen Dalton / Drone fly (Eristalis similis) in flight over summer bedding flowers, England, UK

Stephen Dalton / Dronefly (Eristalis similis) taking off from Snapdragon (Antirrhinum) flower, UK

Stephen Dalton / Hoverfly (Eristalis tenax) flying into spider's web, UK

Kim Taylor / Male hoverfly hovering {Eristalis sp.} Europe.

Nick Upton / Hoverfly (Eristalis intricarius) male feeding on flowering Wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare) chalk grassland meadow, Wiltshire, UK, July

Rod Williams / Drone Fly (Eristalis Tenax) feeding on nectar of Ivy flower, South London, UK, October

Rod Williams / Drone fly (Eristalis Tenax) feeding on nectar of Ivy flower, South London, UK, October

Rod Williams / Tapered hoverfly (Eristalis pertinax) feeding on nectar of Ivy flower, South London, UK, October

Rod Williams / Drone fly (Eristalis tenax) on leaf South London, UK, October

Rod Williams / Tapered hoverfly (Eristalis pertinax) feeding on nectar of Ivy flower, South London, UK, October

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Hoverfly (Eristalis tenax), a honey bee mimic, basking in sun on Ivy leaf (Hedera helix) in garden, with house in background, Wiltshire, England, UK, April . Property released.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Hover fly (Eristalis tenax), a honey bee mimic, in flight past washing hanging out to dry in a garden, Wiltshire, England, UK, April . Property released.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Hover fly (Eristalis tenax), a honeybee mimic, feeding on Clematis flower (Clematis almondii) in a garden, Wiltshire, UK, March. Did you know? There are about 250 species of hoverfly in Britain.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Hoverfly (Eristalis tenax), a honey bee mimic, feeding on Ivy flower (Hedera helix) in garden near a house, Wiltshire, England, UK, October . Property released.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Hover fly (Eristalis tenax) on a Mexican orange blossom (Choisya ternata) flowering in a garden, with house in background, Wiltshire, UK, April . Property released.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Hoverfly (Eristalis tenax), a honey bee mimic, feeding on Ivy flower (Hedera helix) in garden, with house in background, Wiltshire, England, UK, October . Property released.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Hover fly (Eristalis tenax), honey bee mimic, foraging on Pink aster (Aster novae-angliae) flower in garden, Wiltshire, England, UK, September . Property released.

Laurent Geslin / Shining-faced drone fly / hover fly (Eristalis tenax) male feeding on garden flower, Switzerland, May

Will Watson / Male Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) on Ivy (Hedera helix). Herefordshire, England, October.

Kim Taylor / Drone / Hover Fly (Eristalis tenax) female against a white background. Surrey, UK, May.

Kim Taylor / Drone / Hover Fly (Eristalis tenax) female cleaning front legs, on a white background. Surrey, UK, May.

Nick Upton / Drone fly / Hoverfly (Eristalis tenax), heavily dusted with pollen, using its proboscis to feed on pollen from anthers of Ivy flowers (Hedera helix). Wiltshire garden, UK, September.

Andy Sands / Drone Fly / Hover Fly (Eristalis tenax) resting on Michaelmas daisy. Hertfordshire, UK, September.

Stephen Dalton / Rat-tailed maggot, aquatic larva of the Hover fly (Eristalis sp) underwater with breathing tube, UK, controlled conditions

Stephen Dalton / Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) in flight to water mint flower, UK

Stephen Dalton / Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) in flight to water mint flower, UK

Nick Upton / Female Hoverfly (Eristalis nemorum / interruptus) laying an egg while standing on a riverside Angelica (Angelica archangelica) flowerhead. Wiltshire, UK, June.

Nick Upton / Female Hoverfly (Eristalis nemorum / interruptus) feeds on Ivy (Hedera helix) flower. Wiltshire garden, UK, June

Nick Upton / Hoverfly / Drone fly (Eristalis tenax) uses proboscis to take nectar from Ivy (Hedera helix) flower. Wiltshire garden, UK, June.

Nick Upton / Male Hoverfly (Eristalis nemorum / interruptus) courts a female by hovering loudly above her as she feeds on an Angelica (Angelica archangelica) flowerhead. Wiltshire, UK, June.

Nick Upton / Male Hoverfly (Eristalis nemorum / interruptus) courts a female by hovering loudly above her as she feeds on an Angelica (Angelica archangelica) flowerhead. Wiltshire, UK, June.

Nick Upton / Drone fly (Eristalis tenax) sun basking on leaf of Mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius "Aureus") Wiltshire garden, UK, June.

Nick Upton / Female Hoverfly / Drone fly (Eristalis tenax) feeding on Mexican orange blossom flowers (Choisya ternata), Wiltshire garden, UK, September.

Nick Upton / Drone fly (Eristalis similis / pratorum) on bramble flower, Pyrenees, Spain

Stephen Dalton / Hover fly (Eristalis tenax) taking off from Knapweed flower, UK

Stephen Dalton / Hover fly (Eristalis tenax) taking off from Knapweed flower, UK

Stephen Dalton / Hover fly / Drone fly (Eristalis sp) taking off from Knapweed flower, UK

Stephen Dalton / Hover fly {Eristalis tenax} in flight from Willowherb flowers, UK

Stephen Dalton / Hover fly {Eristalis tenax} in flight to Willowherb flowers, UK

Stephen Dalton / Hover fly {Eristalis arabustorum} raising it legs shortly after take-off from Fleabane leaf, UK

Stephen Dalton / ** Drone / Hover fly (Eristalis tenax) taking off from Betony (Stachys officinalis) UK

Stephen Dalton / Drone / Hover fly {Eristalis tenax} feeding on ivy flower, Sussex, UK

Alex Hyde / Breathing tube of Rat-tailed maggot, larva of Hover fly {Eristalis tenax} The tube is an adaptation to anaerobic environments, allowing the maggot to survive in stagnant water. Dead Specimen. Peak Dis...

Nigel Bean / Hover fly (Eristalis pertinax) feeding on flower of {Echinacea purpurea} in UK garden, September

John Cancalosi / Hover Fly (Eristalis tenax) on Bramble flower, UK

Nature Production / Hover /Drone fly {Eristalis tenax} feeding on Sunflower, Japan

Kim Taylor / Hoverfly {Eristalis tenax} on Ragwort flowers, UK.

Kim Taylor / Hover / Drone fly {Eristalis tenax} taking off. Covered in pollen. UK.

Kim Taylor / Male hoverfly hovering above female {Eristalis sp.} on ragwort. England

Kim Taylor / Hoverfly males 'marking' a plantain head mistaking it for a female, UK, Digital composite.

Shin Yoshino / Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax) couple mating while flying, Saitama, Japan

Kim Taylor / Drone fly (Eristalis tenax) females hibernating in a sandstone cave, Surrey, England

Kim Taylor / Drone fly (Eristalis tenax) females hibernating in a sandstone cave, Surrey, England

Premaphotos / Shining-faced drone fly, a hover fly (Eristalis tenax) male (right) and female feeding side by side without interacting, UK

Premaphotos / Yellow-legged moustached icon male hoverfly (Syrphus ribesii) (bottom), Marmalade icon hover fly (Episyrphus balteatus) (top left) and Lesser drone fly (Eristalis arbustorum), UK

Premaphotos / Drone / Hover flies (Eristalis arbustorum) (left) and (Eristalis pertinax) (right) on a chrysanthemum Court Jesters flower in a garden, UK

Premaphotos / Square-spot drone fly, a hover fly (Eristalis nemorum) emitting a shrill whine with his wings as he hovers in courtship over a female, UK

Premaphotos / Elegant drone fly, a hover fly (Eristalis horticola) female on Knapweed flower, UK

Premaphotos / Shining-faced drone fly / hover fly (Eristalis tenax) male sitting on a garden flower and grooming its wing bases, UK

Premaphotos / Elegant drone fly, a hover fly (Eristalis horticola) male on an Oak leaf, UK

Premaphotos / Bumble bee drone fly, a hover fly (Eristalis intricarius) on a bramble flower, UK

Premaphotos / Shining-faced drone fly / hover fly (Eristalis tenax) male on right) with the Honey bee (Apis mellifera) it mimics on the left, UK

Premaphotos / Square-spot drone fly, a hover fly (Eristalis nemorum) male emitting a shrill whine with its wings as it hovers in courtship over a female, UK

Premaphotos / Square-spot drone fly, a hover fly (Eristalis nemorum) emitting a shrill whine with his wings as he hovers in courtship over a female, UK

Premaphotos / Shining-faced drone / hover fly (Eristalis tenax) mating pair, UK

Premaphotos / Yellow-footed drone fly, a hover fly (Eristalis pertinax) female on apple blossom, UK