Hoverfly

Adult hoverflies are 4-7 mm long and have a dark-coloured, flattened body with black and yellow markings. They can hover or fly swiftly, and like all flies, have only one set of wings. The adults feed on pollen and honeydew and do not feed on insects. The larvae are generally green in colour with a whitish stripe down the centre of their back. The larvae are grub or maggot-like (with no visible legs), and can be mistaken for pest grubs such as the diamond back moth. They grow up to 8-10 mm long and importantly, are predatory. They attack aphids, spearing them with their prominent mouth hook.