Literally from its name, this hoverfly loves to hang around marshy, wet areas. In 2019 I put a very small pond in my garden and during the summer I can often see this smart insect resting on the marginal plants. I’m usually alerted to its presence by the humming of its wings. I do wonder if particular species of insect can be identified by the frequency of the wing hum – rather like bat sonar. Something to investigate… It lands on a leaf for a while and then zips off only to return to the same spot a few moments later.
It is a common hoverfly across Europe and the family is easily distinguished from other hoverflies by the black and yellow stripes on the thorax. To identify this species, the tibia (the curved part of the leg) is one third dark which is unique to this member of the Helophilus family.
Natural history of the Bailiwick of Guernsey 