Volucella zonaria is an amazing insect and the reason that I started this blog way back in 2007 when I had one in my garden then and was just in awe then.  Yesterday  I was attending my vegetable garden when I suddenly caught sight of one nectaring on the flowering garden mint.  This is a massive hoverfly, a hornet mimic and is a large, impressive brightly coloured and striped insect, more than twice the size of a common wasp. Of course it is a completely harmless insect but you can imagine that anyone who didn't know better could be quite scared to see it, imagining that it may have a nasty painful sting. I quickly got my camera and took lots of photos and one or two show what a stunning creature this hoverfly species is.