Pellucid Hover Fly, Heeswijk-Dinther, Netherlands

An attractive hoverfly with an orange face and ivory band, named "white giant" or "ivory hoverfly" in dutch. Its mimicry suggests a bumble bee, likely to protect it against birds. It can easily be distinguished for us, as hover flies have only one pair of wings whilst wasps and bees have two pairs. I think this is the female, as males look darker. Here it is feeding on thistle.