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Hornet hoverfly, ivy flower

Hornet hoverfly, ivy flower

Hornet hoverfly, a large hoverfly which looks like a hornet. Like all hoverflies it’s harmless. This was one of many insects attracted to a sunlit patch of ivy flowers by the canal towpath at Compton.

This is the largest hoverfly in Britain. Only occasionally recorded in England until after the Second World War; it is now well established down south and gradually spreading north, aided by global warming.