The Footballer

Another common visitor to ivy flowers. The footballer, so named because of the stripes on its thorax a bit like old-fashioned football strip. Newcastle United is one of the few clubs that has retained striped kit. Their black and white stripes gave them the nickname Magpies. I wonder whether my granddaughter knows this? She and her boyfriend have just moved from Liverpool to Newcastle to take up dental positions.

This hoverfly is also known as the tiger hoverfly and the sunfly. Its scientific name Helophilus pendulus means dangling marsh-lover.