Stephen Fellenberg, Hover Fly feeding in spring (LANDSCAPE & ENVIRONMENT 2026)

Hover flies are small, agile insects often seen hovering briefly in the air before darting from one flower to the next. As adults, they feed on nectar and pollen, visiting flowering plants in gardens, grasslands and bushland edges. Their quick, stop-start movement allows them to inspect blossoms closely, landing lightly to feed before lifting off again in search of the next source of food. Hover flies are valuable in conservation because many species help pollinate native and garden plants, while their larvae often feed on aphids and other small plant pests. This makes them useful indicators of a healthy, insect-friendly habitat with diverse flowering plants and reduced chemical use. Supporting hover flies helps sustain pollination, natural pest control and the wider web of small wildlife that depends on flowering vegetation.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.