The Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) is one of our commonest hoverflies and very distinctively marked. This one unfortunately died in our kitchen. It's only about 12cm long.
They are on the wing all year and are sometimes joined by swarms from Europe. The adults feed on nectar and can often be seen resting on flat-topped flowers. The larvae feed on aphids and are therefore very welcome in my garden. One larva can consume up to 400 aphids before it pupates.
Here are images of a larva and a pupa from wikipedia. Be careful not to destroy them.
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