A hoverfly guide

to the Bayer Research Farm in

Great Chishill

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Orchard Farm, Great Chishill • Nesting and visiting birds
Encouraging Hoverflies
B
ayer Crop Science’s farm in • Butterflies and moths
Great Chishill covers some 20 • Bees
hectares on a gently undulating • Successful fledging of barn owl 1. Food Sources Hoverflies do not have suitable
clay plateau to the south west of chicks (as an indicator of small Growing just about any wildflowers will mouthparts to feed from pea-flowers
Cambridge, on the Hertfordshire mammal populations) attract at least some hoverflies and a such as clover, lucerne or sainfoin
border. It is a working farm set up variety of species selected to flower that favour bees but will feed from
to help the company research and Hoverflies continuously throughout the spring mints, both cornmint and watermint
understand better, new crop protection Hoverflies are a group of Diptera (flies) and summer would be preferable. and other Labiates such as thyme,
products and new seed varieties. As comprising the family Syrphidae with Traditional wildflower meadows are marjoram and so on. Some Crucifers
its name implies, the farm used to be many being fairly large and colourful. often good places to look for hoverflies, are good such as the spring flowering
an orchard and indeed, there remains Some of them, such as the Marmalade and there are several plants which cuckoo flower and hedge mustard;
some apple and pear trees on the Hoverfly are generally common and are favoured. Common bramble is a later on water cress, oil seed rape and
site used for testing of novel crop numerous enough to have a common magnet for various hoverflies and other other mustards are good. Poppies
protection products. The majority of the name. Others such as Eristalinus insects such as bees as are other attract many insects and for later in
farmland, however has been converted sepulchris are declining in numbers, wild species of the genus Rosa such the year, September onwards, ivy is
into land suitable for combinable possibly due to a reduction in habitats. as the various wild roses, blackthorn invaluable for hoverflies and many
crop trials. The farm is enclosed and hawthorn provided they are other late flying insects including bees.
Some members of the family are It has the added attraction that it
with mature hedges and trees with a allowed to flower. Various members of
thought to be pollinators of flowering produces its rich black berries in the
diverse range of habitats, including: the Umbellifera, in particular species
plants and many are very active and depth of winter and is an invaluable
• Reverted plum and apple orchards efficient aphid hunters during their later in the flowering season such
as hogweed are good and have the food source at that time for birds.
• A number of small woodlands larval stages. Most are therefore
and ponds considered to be beneficial insects advantage of not being particularly
• A network of grass margins, ditches with only a few whose larval stages invasive weeds with the exception
• Pollinator and bird seed edges feed on underground bulbs etc. of ground elder and perhaps Queen
being considered pests, most notably Anne’s lace. Various Compositae,
Biodiversity monitoring Eumerus funeralis which feeds on the daisy family, are also attractive to
at Chishill commercially grown daffodil bulbs. many insects. Creeping thistle is one
First and foremost, this is a working of the best but is particularly invasive
Hoverflies are mobile over quite large and other Compositae may thus be
farm which has to pay its way for distances and are easily attracted given
the company. Nevertheless, non- preferred. Ox-eye daisy, common daisy,
suitable flowers and environments. dandelion, chicory and field scabious
cropped areas are actively managed, They are not social nor nest making
in a way that is entirely consistent for instance, are all good; however
insects so need a continuous supply the frequently sown hardheads does
with the promotion of biodiversity. of food during their adult lives. Poor
We believe that it is important to not seem to be particularly favoured.
weather may be devastating to an
maximise the resources that the adult population as they cannot
farm has and we regularly measure survive long without a constant food Eristalis pertinax feeding on bramble,
key biodiversity indices, including: supply, unlike many bee species Rubus fruticosus

that nest and store food as honey.

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2. Water 3. Nesting sites for bees: The hoverflies lays eggs in the bee
Several hoverflies, such as Eristalis Hoverflies as bee mimics nest, and the resultant larvae feed
tenax, breed in water, favouring Several hoverflies breed in commensal on debris; the obvious “reward”
ponds rich in rotting vegetation. Small arrangements with bees, particularly for such housekeeping activities
neglected ponds, deep permanently bumble bees and with wasps being the relative safety from
wet ditches or old cattle watering (particularly hornets) and it follows that predators that the nest provides.
ponds with high organic matter levels encouraging these species will also Likewise, Volucella zonaria, one of the
are favoured. If cleared the organic encourage these particular hoverflies. UK’s largest flies, is approximately the
matter dredged out should be left same size as an adult worker hornet
Volucella bombylus, for example is
piled at the pond edge to slowly which they mimic. They are recent
a large fly, the size of the bumble
rot away and will attract hoverflies invaders into the UK and are spreading
bees it mimics. It comes in at least
and beetles to lay eggs. Similarly if rapidly North and Westwards. Their
three different colour forms, white-
cuttings from hedges and woods can larvae live in hornet’s nests feeding
tailed as here mimicking the white
be chipped and left in piles they will off the debris and discarded bits of
and buff-tailed bumble bees, a
slowly ferment and rot and also attract food from their hosts. The adult’s
red-tailed variety mimicking the red-
insects, acting as a far more productive resemblance to hornets is uncanny
tailed and meadow bumble bees
natural source than simply leaving or and a good strategy for avoiding being
and an all brown sort that mimics
burning cuttings, as they may attract preyed on by other insects and birds.
the common carder bumble bee.
grass snakes and slow worms.
Bees are of course excellent pollinators
and wasps, including hornets, are
extremely good natural predators of
many injurious pest insects. Wasps
in particular as they are busy hunting Leaving long grass field edges will
and killing caterpillars and other pests encourage mice and voles, and the
in their thousands. It is not until the presence of owls and kestrels at
breeding season of their prey finishes Great Chishill shows that the habitat
at August time that wasps become generated here is successful. It is in
apparent when their diet changes their empty nest burrows that many
to sugary sustenance such as bumble bees make their nests, and
windfalls, picnic jams and suchlike. where these hoverflies cohabit.

The presence of owls and kestrels at Great Chishill

shows that the habitat generated here is successful

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Hoverflies at
Orchard Farm
This account is of the hoverflies It should be noted that although there Episyrphus balteatus Cheliosa pagana Epistrophe eligans
The ‘Marmalade hoverfly’. Cheliosa ssp are very A widespread and fairly
observed on the Bayer’s Orchard have been wild flower species plantings
Britain and Chishill’s common hoverflies. Most common medium sized
Farm at Great Chishill in Essex over in previous years to encourage native commonest hoverfly; a are difficult to identify spring hoverfly. Two
five visits on the 5th July 2018, 16th insects some of these had been well-known aphid predator. ‘little black jobs’. There were seen at Chishill in
August 2018, 8th May 2019, 2nd June grubbed up in order to be resown It becomes very common were several species May 2019. Its larvae feed
2019 and 3rd July 2019. The dates were but this had not produced effective in the later summer months seen during most visits to on aphids in trees.
chosen because there are variations flower banks at the time of the visits. and is easily identified Chishill although in small
as it is the only British numbers. C. pagana is
in emergent species of hoverflies from
It was notable that there was a rich hoverfly with double one of few that can be
month to month with few present stripes on its abdomen. easily identified because
variety of other insects at Great Chishill
until May and few remaining after the it alone in this genus has
such as beetles, butterflies, dragonflies,
beginning of September. In fact dates orange antennae. The only
true bugs, bees, various wasps etc. other one firmly identified
were further chosen because of the
Many hoverflies are easily identified, was Cheliosa variabilis.
weather, most flying insects preferring
warm dry days with sunny periods. however for accurate identification
Eristalis pertinax
of some there is a need to capture Seen on all visits in small
Of the United Kingdom’s 270 species,
and examine under a dissecting numbers. A common
26 species were identified and several
microscope. This was not done UK hoverfly. Two other
more were not identified to species Volucella pellucens Eristalis ssp were seen, E.
and for some species only a genus
level. Neither were they present in The ‘Great pied hoverfly’. arbustorum and E. tenax.
was ascribed. Generally such
particularly great numbers. This is not Seen in the orchard on three E. pertinax is very similar
flies are members of genii of very
unexpected for an agricultural setting occasions. This hoverfly to E. tenax but differs in
similar species usually occupying is quite large—about bee Eristalinus sepulchris having yellow/orange front
such as East Anglia where cultivation
similar ecological niches and sized—and has the habit A strange shaped fly with ‘feet’ and so is easy to
is generally arable with little meadow obvious spots on its eyes. A
accurate species identification is of hovering along paths separate from other Eristalis
or pasture, as hoverflies are most and rides in one spot. declining UK species often ssp. Both E. pertinax and
probably of little importance.
frequently to be seen attending flower It is inquisitive and will associated with agricultural E. tenax are honey bee
heads of wild flowers of which there Many of the following photographs suddenly dart to investigate ponds rich in organic matter mimics, indeed E. tenax
were few present during my visits. were taken at Chishill, many were other insects and even such as old-fashioned cattle is sometimes known as
humans before darting ponds or ponds where the ‘drone fly’. Their larvae
Suitable habitats were found along taken elsewhere but all, with one
back to its favoured spot. there has been high levels feed on rotting vegetation,
field edges, in hedges, the ancient exception, are of species seen of fertilizer runoff. A small usually underwater and
farm pond, the old plum orchard and on the farm in 2018 and 2019. These first two hoverflies number were seen around possess a long breathing
particularly around the small reservoir are the only ones in the the pond at Chishill feeding tube extending from the end
UK that have common on water cress flowers.
with its sown banks which was of their abdomen and so are
names in widespread use.
resultantly the richest source of insects. known as ‘rat-tailed larvae’.

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 Melangyna
umbellatarum,
Meliscaeva auricollis and
Melanostoma scalare
These hoverflies are three
very similar, common, small
and slim summer hoverflies,
seen in fair numbers Heliophilus pendulus Spherophoria scripta Platycheirus albimanus Pipiza austrica
around the reservoir and There are two common & Spherophoria ssp A few Platycherius ssp Pipiza ssp were seen
elsewhere and shown species of Heliophilus and S. scripta is one of were seen. They are all occasionally. They are
here as representative they can be very hard to the commonest UK small hoverflies that have medium sized hoverflies,
of the group. Although distinguish. They are larger, hoverflies and was also the habit of closing their usually all black and difficult
not closely related they bee sized, handsome flies so at Chishill; it is the only wings as soon as they land to accurately identify. P.
are difficult to accurately with vertical stripes on Spherophoria that can and are thus impossible to austrica has a dark cloud
Eupeodes corolla and their thorax resembling
identify. All their larvae feed reliably be identified, it identify without capture. on its wings but others
Eupeodes luniger those of American Football
on aphids whereas the has an abdomen that is This shot of P. albimanus of the genus have few
These two Eupeopes referees. The male H.
adults feed on pollen and longer than its wings and in flight shows the identifying features. There
species are both common hybridus is easy to identify
so are often seen in large thus is easily identified. distinctive grey marks on were probably more present
in the UK and were both however the females are
numbers on wildflowers Other ssp were probably its abdomen. It is a very than P. austrica which is the
seen frequently at Chishill. very similar to H. pendulus
such as hogweed, cow also present. They are common representative of easiest to identify without
In E. corolla the yellow but can be separated as
parsley or ox-eye daisies. perhaps the most difficult of this large genus in which capturing specimens.
spots on the abdomen their hind tibia is mostly hoverflies to identify. Even the larvae feed on aphids Another group whose
join up almost creating orange/yellow—not easy! experts using microscopes and the adults on pollen. larvae feed on aphids.
stripes whereas in E. luniger
cannot separate the
they remain separate and
females of some of these
look like forward facing
species. Their larvae
‘commas’. Their larvae feed
are aphid eaters.
on a wide range of aphids.

Leucozona lucorum Xylotta segnis Scaeva pyrastri

A widespread and One was seen in the Larger and boldly marked
common UK hoverfly seen orchard. Xylota ssp are hoverflies. This is a
mostly in spring and early woodlands hoverflies migratory species visiting
summer. A few were seen Syritta pipens found where there is a lot from the Continent and not
Myathropa florea in May 2019 at Chishill. A smaller, relatively of damp rotting wood. resident in the UK but seen
A common and widespread Another aphid predator. common and widespread in variable numbers most
hoverfly during most of the hoverfly seen at Chishill on years. Two were seen in
year but usually only seen several occasions, usually in the orchard in July 2019,
singly. Present at Chishill on higher numbers in the later one a female laying eggs
all visits, frequently around months. Their larvae feed on —these might hatch but
the orchard. Their larvae wet, decaying vegetation. will probably not survive
are found in water feeding winter. Their larvae are
on rotting vegetation. once again aphid eaters.

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 The survey of hoverflies at Orchard Farm
was undertaken by Geoff Vowles,a retired
pathologist, now an amateur naturalist with a
particular interest in how insects, wild plants,
birds and animals interact together. 
Volucella zonaria Volucella bombylus
This is one of the UK’s A large fly, the size of the
largest flies, approximately bumble bees it mimics.
the same size as an adult It comes in at least three
worker hornet which they different colour forms,
mimic. They are recent white-tailed as here
invaders into the UK and are mimicking the white
Syrphus ribesii and
spreading rapidly North and and buff-tailed bumble
Syrphus vitripennis
Westwards. Their larvae live bees, a red-tailed variety
There are three common
in hornet’s nests feeding off mimicking the red-tailed
UK species of Syrphus.
the debris and discarded and meadow bumble bees
Along with E. balteatus
bits of food from their and an all brown sort that
and Spherophoria ssp
hosts. The resemblance mimics the common carder
they are the commonest
to hornets is uncanny bumble bee. This one was
UK hoverflies and are the
and a good strategy for seen in the orchard. They
familiar common hoverflies
avoiding being preyed on breed in the nests of the
on garden and meadow
by other insects and birds. bumble bee they mimic
flowers. Syrphus ssp were
and are rather variable in
seen on all visits to Chishill
occurrence. Common but
in good numbers. They
never in large numbers.
closely resemble each other
and are difficult to identify
in the field although in the
females, whose eyes do
not meet at the top of their
head, this can be done as in
S. ribesii the hind femur is all
Vespa crabro
yellow and in S. vitripennis
A hornet for comparison.
the femur is mostly black.

All photographs taken by and copyright claimed by G. H. Vowles © Bayer CropScience Limited 2020

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