DESCRIPTION: Wing length 8 - 10.5mm. A typical looking Drone-Fly whose main identification features are quite variable but the narrow black face stripe, the unthickened hind metatarsus, the discrete sharp-edged wing stigma and the orange markings on tergite 2 will all contribute to a confirmation of the species. BEHAVIOUR: The adult male quite frequently hovers above a feeding female which in itself gives clues to the identification of this species. DISTRIBUTION: Common  throughout. HABITAT: Hedgerows, wasteland, woodland margins and meadows amongst other similar places. PERIOD: April to October.