The marmalade hoverfly, one of the most common hoverflies, feeds on nectar and pollen. In contrast, the larvae are carnivorous. Fertilised females search for aphid colonies to lay their eggs. Young larvae passively await the contact stimulation by an aphid, then attach themselves securely to the aphid and suck them dry. Larvae of the 3rd stage actively locate aphid colonies, glue the aphids to the substrate and to one another and then successively suck them dry. Two weeks after pupation the fly emerges. Macrophotography, slow-motion up to 400 times.