Hornet mimic hover fly
This large, harmless fly mimics the European hornet in size, colour and buzzing flight closely enough to deter predators, though it cannot sting.
| Where | Gardens and meadows near woodland |
|---|---|
| Size | 18 to 25 mm body length |
| When | June to September |
A very large hoverfly with a reddish-brown thorax, a pale yellow face, and a reddish-yellow abdomen crossed by two broad black bands.
Females lay their eggs inside the nests of social wasps and hornets, and the larvae develop there as scavengers among nest debris.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
Orange, Yellow, Black
Active
Day
To people
Harmless fly; mimics a hornet but cannot sting
Activity through the year
Often confused with
European hornet is a true wasp with a narrow waist and can sting, and its queens grow larger, up to 35 mm, than the hoverfly's 25 mm maximum.
Questions
Is the Hornet mimic hover fly dangerous to people?
Harmless fly; mimics a hornet but cannot sting.
When can you see the Hornet mimic hover fly?
The Hornet mimic hover fly can be seen from June to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Didier Descouens, CC BY‑SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
The plate on this page is shared under the same licence as its source, CC BY-SA.
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Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.