I took this short video back in November but had so much other material to share that it never got posted on YouTube until now. You might think hoverfly larva are slow and ungainly but just look at how quickly this little guy can move up the tree trunk. (Sorry it gets a bit blurry towards the end.)

Of course, as we’ve moved in to the colder temperatures and inclement weather of winter, we don’t see hoverfly larva out and about so much. But, as I found yesterday, if you pick up a handful of leaf litter and riffle through it, you can still find these larvae. I’m not sure how long this little creature will remain in its larval state before pupating – I think that depends to some degree on species – but it was certainly a nice reward for getting my fingers mucky.