A large species of hoverfly. It is larger than most hoverflies at 20mm long, and looks something like a Bumble bee with a furry black, yellow and/or white body, but is given away by its head and eyes which show it is a true fly, like a Blow-fly. It occurs in several forms each of which mimics a species of Bumble bee. It can be found even in urban gardens, sunning itself on a leaf. It is a fast flier.