Hoverflies are a fascinating group of insects. As they are often brightly coloured and very common in gardens many people will be familiar with them. Many have black and yellow markings and so are often confused with bees and wasps. However hoverflies are totally harmless and are definately a gardener's friend, as the larvae of several common species have a voracious appetite for aphids!

There are over 270 species of hoverflies in Britain and very few have common names. Indeed, those that do exist are not always widely known and agreed by all. For this reason I have primarily used the latin names (everyone agrees on these!) but mentioned the common names when I know of them.