Paul writes: there is a recent practice for giving previously obscure hoverflies English names, in addition to their Latin ones. Often the names are fairly mundane and don’t really add to the insect’s appeal, however I think this one is great and is likely to make you more interested to look out for one. Anasimyia transfuga is the more usually recognised name but outside the world of entomology the English name is more likely to be remembered. ‘Golfclub’ comes from the shape of the chevrons on the abdomen, ‘Duckfly’ comes from the favoured habitat. They are found amongst lush freshwater vegetation, alongside slow moving rivers or large bodies of water. Peak time for seeing them is June and July, I found this one recently along the Pocklington Canal at Melbourne in East Yorkshire. There are several related species, all are dark with cream markings and about 12mm long, usually seen resting on waterside vegetation or feeding on flowers. They are quite widespread but not common. I usually see them when searching for dragonflies or damselflies as their chosen habitats are very similar.
