Insect id please

[Alanjns]

Hi everyone,

could someone please id this insect for me. I saw it today at Marton Mere in Blackpool. It was feeding on some thistles next to a 5 spot burnet moth.

Thanks in advance,

Alan

[MichaelF]

Something in the family Syrphidae (hoverflies)

[Alanjns]

Thanks Michael,

After you have pointed me in the right direction, I managed a more successful web search and identified it as Helophilus fasciatus.

Cheers,

Alan

[J Roberts]

Unless things have moved on from what I ever knew, H. fasciatus is an American species only (?). Your pic seems to fit male Helophilus hybridus nicely (although we may hopefully flush out an expert who actually knows for sure!).
"Stubbs" - 'British Hoverflies' - says of this "a local species... pond and ditch margins where the water is very shallow and submerged grass grows on blackish mud". Sounds like Marton, alright! JR