It's that time of year again when Hoverfly larvae, specifically the aphid predators, can be found overwintering in leaf litter. You can find them by hand-searching fallen leaves from under solitary trees or the woodland floor. Sycamore can be pretty productive and the leaves are easy to examine.
It is a good way to continue Hoverfly recording throughout the year and the dormant larvae are easier to examine and to rear through to adulthood. Furthermore, it can be a gentle introduction to the study of the early stages.
My Hoverfly larva recording and rearing journey began with syrphines in winter leaf litter so I feel it is a good place to start if you are new to it. I have attached a guide to identifying, recording, and rearing the most frequently encountered taxa in leaf litter. Why not give it a go?
The PDF can be downloaded from my Google Drive and if you have any comments or suggestions please do get in touch via the Contact Form on this website.
