Species of the Month June 2023

Batman Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

 

This large and robust hoverfly gets its common name from a distinctive feature - the black markings on the thorax (shown in close up below) often resemble the Batman logo! Aside from this distinctive marking, the yellow hairs help identify this species, along with the bold yellow and black markings. Adults are on the wing from April to October, and are often associated with woodland, where the larvae develop in rot holes. You can encourage this (and other) species to visit and breed in your garden by creating a Hoverfly Lagoon.

You can find more information and images of Myathropa florea from NatureSpot, Steven Falk's Flickr and the Hoverfly Recording Scheme website.

Batman Hoverfly is found throughout Wales, but we only hold 725 records at SEWBReC. You can view the 1km density map for SEWBReC here and the 10km Wales wide distribution here.

If you spot a Batman Hoverfly during June (or at any other time of year), please send us the record, ideally via SEWBReCORD or the LERC Wales App. Instructions on how to submit records are available here.