This is the most abundant and least choosy of the hoverflies associated with decaying wood. The larvae, which are of the ‘long-tailed’, aquatic type, occur in any situation where wet wood debris are present, such as water-filled hollows containing decaying leaf and wood detritus, and decaying roots deep underground. They can also develop in cow-dung. They will readily use artificial breeding sites consisting of containers of water mixed with rotted sawdust or woodland litter. Adults disperse widely and visit a variety of flowers. Males hover in the canopy, making a loud high pitched buzz. They are often seen in gardens