Marmalade

One of my favourite insects - the Marmalade Fly (Episyrphus balteatus), or hoverfly to most. Like most other hoverflies, Episyrphus balteatus is a Batesian mimic – harmless but closely resembling a dangerous or distasteful model – in this case having the appearance of a solitary wasp. It is just one of a large number of hoverflies (family Syrphidae) with narrow bodies, and with abdomens barred with black and yellow – though in this case the yellow tends towards orange.