Columella zonaria

Often described as a hornet mimic, this is the largest British hoverfly. I spotted it on a hogweed flower, having a bit of nectar. The first thing I thought was hornet! There has been a lot of press regarding hornets in the honeybee circles so it was in my mind.
However, this hoverfly nests in social wasp nests, in tree trunks, where the larvae feed on nest detritus.
It’s around an inch in length so quite distinctive. It’s a fairly recent arrival in England, first spotted in the 1930s and steadily moving north. We don’t know if it’s been seen in Cumbria before, but we should hear about that through iRecord.
Rob was with me when we spotted it, and unusually didn’t have his camera on his shoulder! My phone came to the rescue before it buzzed off!