Common and widely distributed throughout Britain and Ireland wherever there is suitable habitat though easily overlooked due to its unobtrusive nature.

These hoverflies inhabit coniferous and deciduous forests, woodland, hedgerows, scrub and gardens Generally they prefer shady places low to the ground.

[7] As with most hoverfly species the sexes can be told apart by the male's eyes meeting on the top of the head, but separated in the female.

[8] They mainly feed on pollen and nectar of Compositae, Rosaceae (Alchemilla xanthochlora), Apiaceae (Angelica sylvestris, Heracleum sphondylium) and Hedera species.

[5][6] As with most other members of the subfamily Syrphinae the larvae are predatory though there seems to be a preference for a variety of different ground-layer aphids.