Common Drone Fly

Found globally in gardens, farms, and meadows; larvae develop in stagnant, nutrient-rich water like drainage ditches.

Adults feed on nectar and pollen from flowers; larvae (rat-tailed maggots) consume decaying organic matter and microbes in water.

Notable for mimicking honeybees to deter predators; they are excellent hoverers and can often be seen hovering over flowers before landing.

Highly beneficial as a generalist pollinator and decomposer; poses no venomous risk to humans, though larvae are occasionally implicated in rare cases of accidental intestinal myiasis if contaminated water is ingested.