Enormous hoverfly (1 Viewer)

[Swindon Addick]

This was in the bit of my local park that's managed for wildflowers. I'd estimate about 20mm long, but the creeping thistle flower gives a good idea. My big book of insects suggests perhaps Volucella zonaria, but also suggests that shouldn't be as far north as Swindon, or at least not in 2005 when the book came out. I tried iNaturalist, but it just shrugged and said "hoverfly". Can anyone help?

 

[PYRTLE]

Agree with Hornet mimic but I've only seen a handful.

 

[THE_FERN]

Yes. Climate change!

 

[Torchepot]

Interesting - I took this photo on 30th July 2018 on the border of Notts and Derbyshire.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

And from Chester last year. I never got round to ID-ing it, so appreciate you having done so!

 

[Andy Adcock]

Funny enough, I saw my first on Friday, sat on my wall outside. Much less common in Notts but established and common in the South. A local website observes that most of our records come from suburban gardens. I wonder if there's been an influx this year?

The distribution of Volucella Hoverflies in Nottinghamshire

 

[aeshna5]

I've only seen one so far this year (London suburbs) in my garden on a Buddleja last week. Last year didn't see many. For me there seem to be less here in the last couple of years.

My theory in this apparent decline locally is that there seem to be far less social wasp colonies around in the last couple of years & these are the host for these insects.

 

[Swindon Addick]

Thanks everyone. Looking on iRecord now I'm confident of the species, I see it's pretty much nationwide in England & Wales nowadays, and does get recorded in Scotland and NI. A very impressive thing to see.

 

[Rotherbirder]

Definitely zonaria; rare until a couple of years ago, but now regular and 'expected' up here in South Yorkshire.

RB

 

[Andy Adcock]

Thanks everyone. Looking on iRecord now I'm confident of the species, I see it's pretty much nationwide in England & Wales nowadays, and does get recorded in Scotland and NI. A very impressive thing to see.

The one I saw, I actually did think it was a Hornet at first glimpse.