Eristalis tenax

Eristalis tenax (Linnaeus, 1758)
A commonly encountered hoverfly is Eristalis tenax, more often referred to as the Drone Fly. It is one of several honey bee mimics and is found in a variety of habitats and adults are active on sunny days throughout much of the year. The adults hibernate and can even be found on particularly warm January and February days. They feed on nectar from flowers, but the larvae feed on rotting organic material in stagnant water and are sometimes known as Rat-tailed Maggots.
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The records for the Nottinghamshire distribution map are currently provided by the following contributors - Richard Rogers. Trevor and Dilys Pendleton. Brian Wetton. Netherfield Wildlife Group. Pauline Bradford. Wil Heeney. Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. Tim Sexton. Nottingham City Council. Sean Tobin. Peter Kirby (Bentinck Tip & Void Invertebrate survey 2007). Derek Whiteley. Sherwood Forest Invertebrate Directory 2014. Stuart Warrington. The National Trust (Clumber Park invertebrate records). Allan and Annette Binding (Clumber Park invertebrate records). Paul and Helen Brock. John and Denise Bingham. Barry Lygo. Peter Kirby (Ploughman Wood Invertebrate survey 1998 on behalf of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust). David Shaw. Brian Wetton.

You can contribute your own records to help us gain an accurate status of this species in Nottinghamshire. Send an Excel spreadsheet of your records via the 'contact us' link at the top of the homepage.

Updated January 2024


Nottinghamshire (VC56) distribution of Eristalis tenax