Europe, North Africa and much of temperate Asia
Fine-art photographic collection
Episyrphus balteatus
A tiny long-distance migrant whose larvae can erase an aphid colony leaf by leaf.
About this species
Marmalade Hoverfly
Episyrphus balteatus(De Geer, 1776)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Episyrphus balteatus is a highly mobile hoverfly and an important pollinator. Adults feed at flowers, while the legless larvae hunt aphids on foliage and are widely valued as natural biological control agents.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Diptera · Syrphidae · Episyrphus
Accepted taxon. · checked 2026-07-15
Europe, North Africa and much of temperate AsiaBroad range and selected reference localities — not a complete occurrence map.
Gardens, farmland, woodland edges, wetlands and almost any flower-rich habitat with aphids.
Diurnal; adults migrate and can appear in enormous seasonal influxes.
Adults take nectar and pollen; larvae prey on aphids and other soft-bodied insects.
Solitary.
What makes this species remarkable?
A single larva can consume roughly 400 aphids during development, and the species has been recorded attacking more than 100 aphid species.
Millions cross seas and mountain ranges in seasonal migrations, moving pollen and nutrients between ecosystems as they travel.
The black-and-orange bands imitate a stinging wasp, but this harmless fly has only one pair of wings and no sting.