Hovers, Flies, Flutters and Moths

Too hot and humid for housework today so I spent some time sitting in the garden watching insects in the perennial bed. Golden rod and phlox are in flower and proving a real magnet for hoverflies and bees.

Marmalade hover fly (female) Episyrphus balteatus





I really like the metallic green body of this fly



Marmalade Hoverfly (male)





I think this species is the Common Banded Hoverfly (Syrphus ribesii)





A pair of gatekeepers making sure there will be another generation! Don't they look like dead leaves - I only spotted them when I saw another male gatekeeper trying to join in the action!



And a couple of moths I found in the kitchen yesterday evening that had flown through the open window.

Mother of Pearl (the irridescent colouring on its wings shows how it got its name). This is actually a micro moth although it was larger than many macro moths



This carpet moth (a macro) was actually smaller than the Mother of Pearl. I find Carpets hard to identify but I think this is Common Carpet




Please feel free to let me know if any of the id's above are incorrect. Its the first time I've really attempted to identify hoverflies although I found a really useful pocket guide in one of the bookcases given away many years ago in BBC Wildlife Magazine on Hoverflies and their relatives.