Hoverfly ID? (Cambs. UK) (2 Viewers)

[DoghouseRiley]

Hi All
Came across this hoverfly on a dandelion. Quite distinctive and my immediate thought was that this was a new one to me.
I took a few pics before it disappeared with my new camera and new lens........................ the pics could be better........................
But there should be enough here to identify it but, I have been through Steven Falk's galleries and Ball and Morris and I
cannot ID it.

Female, narrow bars for yellow on black, yellow scutellum, yellow legs, stigma on wings, slight striping on a shiny abdomen,
pale undusted face, narrow body, slightly narrow waisted.

Can someone please ID this for me?

Yours

Gareth

 

[Owene]

Looks like one of the sphaerophoria species which I think are very hard to id. When I send one to the Facebook hoverfly group they very rarely get species id

 

[DoghouseRiley]

Looks like one of the sphaerophoria species which I think are very hard to id. When I send one to the Facebook hoverfly group they very rarely get species id

Hi Owene, thanks for coming back to me. I kind of thought it might be a Sphaerophoria sp. because of the shape of the body but I can't find a single pic of one with these markings.
Off on my hols to the Land of my Fathers (Tregaron and Anglesey) in one month, any suggestions for some insect pictures?

 

[Owene]

Haven’t been up there since I got into insects but I’d guess there’s a lot of interesting upland and coastal stuff I’ve never seen

No I’ve not seen that pattern before either.it looked vaguely like Scripta but the way the black sections join is different There’s a lot better hoverfly folks on here than me though so hopefully someone will know

 

[DoghouseRiley]

Haven’t been up there since I got into insects but I’d guess there’s a lot of interesting upland and coastal stuff I’ve never seen

No I’ve not seen that pattern before either.it looked vaguely like Scripta but the way the black sections join is different There’s a lot better hoverfly folks on here than me though so hopefully someone will know

I think the variables on the sphaerophoria species mean that females are imporrsible to distinguish without obtaining a specimen and dissecting - and that's never going to be my thing. I am getting some advise that patterns on S. scripta are also extremely variable.

Thanks again Owene

 

[pdwinter]

I think the variables on the sphaerophoria species mean that females are imporrsible to distinguish without obtaining a specimen and dissecting - and that's never going to be my thing. I am getting some advise that patterns on S. scripta are also extremely variable.

I think you're right - as far as I can tell (from being in the Facebook group for a while and the Britain's Hoverflies book), apart from male (and mating pair of) S.scripta, they can't be done from a photo (other than through a microscope view of a dead specimen).

 

[DoghouseRiley]

I think you're right - as far as I can tell (from being in the Facebook group for a while and the Britain's Hoverflies book), apart from male (and mating pair of) S.scripta, they can't be done from a photo (other than through a microscope view of a dead specimen).

Thanks for confirming Paul.

Fancy casting your eye over Possibly Nomada goodeniana? (Cambs. UK) and let me know what you think? These Nomads are difficult or at least I find them.

 

[pdwinter]

Thanks for confirming Paul.

Fancy casting your eye over Possibly Nomada goodeniana? (Cambs. UK) and let me know what you think? These Nomads are difficult or at least I find them.

Very little knowledge of bees I'm afraid.

 

[DoghouseRiley]

Very little knowledge of bees I'm afraid.

Thanks Paul