Eristalis tenax in the Garden

It is not unusual to see Eristalis tenax flying early in the year, in fact it can be recorded on the wing in any month of the year. It's a common hoverfly and can be readily identified in the field by its bold, dark face stripe. The dark front tarsi also help identify this species.

It's often called the Drone Fly because of its very close resemblance to male hive bees or drones.