HoverWatch

They are all species of Hoverfly!

Hoverflies are one of many often-overlooked insects that are important pollinators for all kinds of plants, including those which we rely on like fruit trees.

There are more than 280 species of hoverfly in the UK, ranging in size from a few millimetres to 2cm, Many are very difficult to identify, requiring a microscope to look at tiny characters, such as the shape of the veins in the wings, as such, they are under represented in the official Biological Records Database which is held by EcoRecord, based at our Trust HQ.

Find out more about Biological Records

Many hoverfly species can be identified from a photo, check out our guides below, and remember to try and take photos from as many different angles as possible.

Or you can send EcoRecord your photos and they'll put their expert skills to the test to identify them for you! 

Submit Photo for ID or Recording