Thirty six is the number of hoverfly larvae I counted on a section of the local park railings, about 10 metres long, as I strolled very slowly past on Monday. They all look to be one of the Syrphus species of hoverfly; it’s not possible to be exact with the larvae of this particular species.

This is a great time of year to look for hoverfly larvae, particularly after stormy weather. They get shaken off the remaining leaves on trees, then try to climb back up to find yummy aphids to eat. So, if you look on railings or fences, even gravestones, particularly under Sycamore trees, you’ll probably be surprised at how many you can find.

And if you want to have a try at identifying any hoverfly larvae you discover, you’ll find a free downloadable pdf Colour Guide to Hoverfly Larvae on the Diptera.info website.