Hoverflies, Flower Flies (Syrphidae) One of their characteristics is their bee, wasp or bumblebee mimicry, whereas they are completely defenceless. Flower flies cannot sting.  They have same the bright colours, and sometimes the dense hair covering of bumblebees. 
Hovering is a speciality, but they are also fast and very manoeuvrable.
The difference with other flies is the spurious vein. This vein neither ends nor connects with other wing veins. The spurious vein just ends for the edge of the wings.

Marmalade Fly (Episyrphus balteatus) 

This is a very common hoverfly in our garden and throughout Europe.
In the autumn they fly in large numbers to south Europe.

This animal is splendid orange. 
The 2 bands on every segment are characteristic.
Still it is a variable fly. In autumn there are also dark flies.
The larvae feed on aphids. There the eggs are also laid.  
Length: 8 tot 12 millimeter.
March.- November.

German: Hain-Schwebfliege  French: Syrphe ceinturé

Photo 7 - 3 - '09

This is a larva of a hoverfly. That day I found two between the leaves.

There's still much to discover concerning the larvae of hoverflies. Just maybe it's a larva of a Marmalade Fly (Episyrphus balteatus). But that is certainly not certain. 
The larva feeds on aphids.

Sericomyia silentis

A large black fly with yellow, narrowly wedge-shaped abdominal bars, which usually do not quite meet in the centre of the abdomen. The end of the abdomen is yellow. 
The edge of the wings is rose brown.

It looks like a  large social wasp (Vespa species).

It is a species primarily of peatland areas. But also in other areas as in my garden.

The rat-tailed maggots live like the maggots of for example the Eristalis species in the water.

Length: 14-18 mm.
Mai - October.

German: Große Torf-Schwebfliege, Gelbband-Torfschwebfliege

One of the most common hoverflies in my garden. It is especially to be found at water and marshes. It has black and yellow longitudinal stripes on the upper surface of its thorax.  
Length: 11 -13 mm.
April - October.

There are more Helophilus species similar to these flies. For example the Helophilus  hybridus and H. trivittatus.
This species is such an exception. You can’t recognize it is male or female by examine the eyes.

The Helophilus pendulus has a black middle stripe on the face.
Like al Helophilus species it favour ponds and muddy water.
The larvae, rat-tailed maggots, live in muddy water.  

German: Gemeine Sumpfschwebfliege  Frech:Hélophile suspendu

Sun fly, Helophilus trivittatus

A wasp- like hoverfly. It has black and yellow longitudinal stripes on the upper surface of its thorax. It is similar to the Sunfly  

German: Große Sumpfschwebfliege  Frech:Hélophile 

Anasimyia interpuncta

It looks a little like the Helophilus, but the Anasimyia is not as bright-colored and smaller.
The spots on the body are curved.
Anasimyia has no middle stripe on the face.

Length: 8 - 11 mm.
April - September.

The legs are not fully visible.
This hoverfly has a long antennae, so the fly can easily be mistaken with a wasp. But it don't flies fast.
The base of the thighs of the Chrysotoxum festivum is black. The thighs of the Chrysotoxum vernale are yellow. On the photo this difference is not visible.

Chrysotoxum festivum 9 - 13 mm. April - August
Chrysotoxum vernale 11 - 15 mm. April - September

Common banded hoverfly (Syrphus ribesii)

The female S. ribesii is the only female of the syrphus species with entirely yellow thighs. The male is not so easy to determine.
There are of course a number of species, which are similar . Especially  the Syrphus torvus and the Syrphus vitripennis
The larvae of the three species feed on aphids.

Length: 9 - 13 mm.
April - November.

German: Große Schwebfliege, Gemeine Garten-Schwebfliege 

This female is very similar to the female Syrphus ribesii but it has dark thighs.
Syrphus torvus has hairy eyes. But that is difficult to see on the photos of the females.
Syrphus vitripennis has no hairy eyes..
There is difference in the colour of very small hairs on the thigh 3. (yellow, black or yellow and black) But than you need a microscope or a very good camera..
Length Syrphus torvus : 10 - 13 mm. March - October. 
Length Syrphus vitripennis : 8 - 12 mm.  March - November.

  

On the photo of this female you can just see the hairs on the eyes.
The bands of Syrphus torvus are sometimes smaller. 

Length: 10 tot 13 mm. 
March - October. 


     

The semicircular spots on its abdomen, which reach the outside edge of the abdomen. The thorax is dull.
On the face is a black stripe.

Length 6-9 mm.
April-June.
Palearctic.
The larvae feed on aphids.

Eupeodes luniger

This hoverfly has three pairs of yellow commas on its abdomen, which don't reach the outside edge of the abdomen.  The Ductch name is Big Commahover (translated of course).
The eyes are not hairy.
In 2008 I saw the first half April. You can see them until the end of October.
The larvae feed on aphids.

Length: 9 - 12 mm.
March - November.

Europe, North America, Western Asia and Nth Africa.

German: Mondfleck-Feldschwebfliege

The Eupeodes luniger has sometimes also wider bands (commas). The back of the E. latifasciatus is more glossy green. Sometimes the commas reach eachother. Than it looks like a Syrphus, Epistrophe. But it is smaller. A shiny forehead. 
Eupeodes corollae looks also similar.
The eyes are not hairy.

Length: 8 - 10 mm.
April - October. 

German: Breitband-Feldschwebfliege

Eupeodes corollae

This hoverfly has three pairs of yellow commas on its abdomen, which reach the outside edge of the abdomen.
The head of the female is above black. The rest is yellow.
The eyes are not hairy.

Length: 7 - 11 mm.
April - November.

The larvae feed on aphids.

German: Gemeine Feldschwebfliege

I tried to photograph it without success. But when my wife had a bought a hebe fot in a pot, it waited in the air, until she was ready. Then it stayed for a long time on the flowers.
It looks a bit like an Eupeodes.
Black with three pairs of white, sometimes slightly yellow tilted spots. 
The Scaeva selenitica has right spots.
Length: 10 - 15 mm.
April - October.

The pale green  larvae  feed on aphids.

The difference with the white crescent migrant are the yellowish spots (sometimes whitish) and the spots are right on the abdomen.
It also looks like an Eupeodes, but a Scaeva has hairy eyes.
In side view the forehead is swollen.

Length: 10 - 15 mm.
February - November
The pale green  larvae  feed on aphids.

The first band /spots is / are broader than the second.
It lives in forests and along forest edges.
Length: 8 - 10 mm.
April - October.

The  larvae  feed on aphids.

German: Breitband-Waldschwebfliege

The face has a broad middle stripe. The Abdominal spots  may look like those of the Scaeva selenitica. Light antennas. Hairy eyes. (Hard to see on the photos) The wings have a long dark pterostigma.
They are be found in forests, but also in parks and (as here) in gardens
Length: 8 to 10 mm.

March - August. 
The larvae feed on aphids
Europe, North-America

            The larva of a Dasysyrphus venustus.

A dark yellow hoverfly with yellow spots. Further distinguished by the two white stripes on  its thorax

Forests and forest edges.


Length: 8 - 10 mm.
April - October. Two generations.

The  larvae  feed on aphids.
Palearctisch (Europe, North Africa to Japan)

Platycheirus scutatus complex
Complex: Some species of the same family.
P. scutatus, P. splendidus, P. aurolateralis,.....
I can't say which specie.

An other hoverfly from the Platycheirus scutatus complex.
  

Platycheirus albimanus or Platycheirus cyaneus

They can be found in woodland edge, hedgerows, scrub and gardens

The larvae appear to feed on aphids on low growing plants and bushes 

Length: 7 - 9 mm.
March - October.

A slender abdomen. Especially the abdomen of the male. 
The larvae feed on aphids. You recognize it because of the small yellow triangles on the back. Although the Melanostoma mellinum is almost similar.

Length: 7 - 9 mm
April - November.

It's a dark hoverfly. It has a flat abdomen with orange spots.

They can be found in woodland edge.

The larvae appear to feed on on gregarious caterpillars of yponomeutid and tortricid micro-moths.

Length: 10 - 12 mm
May - November.

The larvae of both families feed on aphids

Melangyna cincta 

Features: On the second segment of the abdomen, the triangular spots have the point to the inside. It has a yellow shield with yellow hairs and yellow antennae.

Length: 8 - 10 mm.
March - September

Meliscaeva auricollis

Features: The spots on the second segment of the abdomen don't reach the outside edge of the abdomen. The underside of the spots is oblique. The yellow scutellum has black hairs. 

Length: 8 - 11 mm.
March - November

The female hibernates.

     Photos March / April 2010. The dark hairs on the scutellum are easier to see. The spots are less clear.

Meliscaeva cinctella

Features: The square spots on the second segment of the abdomen reach the outside edge of the abdomen. The yellow scutellum has black hairs.

Length: 8 - 11 mm.
April - September

They probably overwinter as larvae.

Xylota segnis

A  hoverfly which slightly resembles an Ichneumon wasp. Orange and black. 
It has a preference for feeding on honey-dew secreted by aphids. That's why it is often been seen on leaves. It visits less often flowers.

In hedgerows and woodland.

Length: 9 - 14 mm.
April - October.

Larvae are found in rotting sawdust, rotting wood etc.

A large fly. A conspicuous red spot on the back and black legs.

Length 11 - 14 mm.
April - July

Deciduous forests and sandy.
Larvae in rotting wood.

Syritta pipiens

A small, slim hoverfly. During the float it can propel jerky.
You recognize it easily through the swollen hind femora.
The larva lives of waste on the soil or compost.

Length: 7 - 9 mm.
April - October.

Tropidia scita

A dark back with silver spots on the corners. Large orange spots on the abdomen. Black, swollen hind femora arched with a triangular projection. (not visible on these photos)
This is the only species in the Netherlands.
Moist to wet habitats. They fly low and also visit flowers. As you can see on these pictures. 

The larvae live in decaying plant debris on the edges of fens, pounds, etc. But they don't know much about it.

Length: 7 to 11 mm.
April to September. 

Neoascia  podagrica

There are similar species. But they are very rare in the Netherlands.

A small hoverfly. The abdomen of this species is waisted. (Especially the females) and club shaped.
The Neoascia has like the syritta thick backthigh. 

Length: 5 - 6 mm.
April - October.

Baccha elongata

In the bushes flew this little thin hoverfly. There you'll find it often. They can be found in shady, damp places. 
It has a slender body like an ichneumon wasp. 

It is difficult to see, because it is so thin.

Length: 7 - 11 mm.
April - November.

The larvae  feed on aphids

Male 10 mm long, female 8 mm.
April - October

The larvae feed on aphids.

German: Gemeine Stiftschwebfliege  French: Sphaerophore notée

Complex: Some species of the same family. The Sphaerophoria batava is the most common species of the complex.
Only the males are to indentify by studying the genitals. Females are inpossible to indentify. It is only possible, when they are together with the male. 
The abdomen of this species are as long as the wings.
It is a small Sphaerophoria and is common in mixed forests and sandy soil. 
April - September.