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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

The Hoverfly Thread (1 Viewer)

Merodon equestris

Someone was asking about Merodon equestris earlier. Got a reasonable sequence of shots of one in the garden yesterday. A very variable insect and this one is very hairy so the bi-coloured thorax is not useful. However there are several ID pointers.

1. Hairy bee mimic
2. All black legs
3. Bare aristae (pointy bits on antennae)
4. Bulge under the hind femur.
5. Looped vein in wing and open cell (R1).

HTH
 

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I saw this one today. I've looked in Stubbs and think it's Chrysotoxum verralli, but reading about C. elegans made me less sure. The habitat seems more appropriate to veralli but there is woodland a matter of yards away so elegans is a possibility.
I could be completely wrong of course!
 

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Thanks for that. I've only just got Stubbs and I'll try following the key when I've got a minute. I've got a lot to learn.
 
Chrysotoxum verralli

This was a good looking fella. Feeding on Wild Parsnip along with many other insects.

Keyed to verralli based on structure of antennae, tergite & sternite pattern.
 

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It is, as you have labelled it, Episyrphus balteatus. A migrant which can be extraordinarily common. Although named Marmalade Hoverfly in recent lists of hoverflies my nickname for it is Barcode Hoverfly, as it is the only species with variable width black bars on the abdomen.
 
Hi all,

I was lucky enough to enjoy watching about seven species of hoverfly in one spot along the Grand Western Canal in Devon a few days ago when the sun came out.

I also got a few photographs of some which I have hopefully correctly identified?

NET Hoverfly 001 : Eupeodes corollae

NET Hoverfly 002 : Episyrphus balteatus

NET Hoverfly 003 : Eupeodes corollae

NET Hoverfly 004 : Eristalis pertinax

NET Hoverfly 006 : Volucella pelucens

Cheers,
Andrew.
 

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Xanthogramma pedisequum

Got another nice shot of Xanthogramma pedisequum this morning. E. balteatus are becoming rather abundant since late last week. Many swarming on brambles and on sticky leaves like prunus spp.
 

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Andrew. I don't think 1 & 3 can be corollae. Might be wrong here but I think both are females and these should have the yellow divided on tergites 3&4, e.g. http://www.syrphidae.de/schwebfliege/Eupeodes corollae - Gemeine Feldschwebfliege w03 hsk.html. Not sure what they are though; perhaps E. latifasciatus?

Agree with the other IDs although a better shot showing the legs of the pertinax would be reassuring.

Try to get photos head on and from the side, or even underneath as well as dorsally.

Hi all,

I was lucky enough to enjoy watching about seven species of hoverfly in one spot along the Grand Western Canal in Devon a few days ago when the sun came out.

I also got a few photographs of some which I have hopefully correctly identified?

NET Hoverfly 001 : Eupeodes corollae

NET Hoverfly 002 : Episyrphus balteatus

NET Hoverfly 003 : Eupeodes corollae

NET Hoverfly 004 : Eristalis pertinax

NET Hoverfly 006 : Volucella pelucens

Cheers,
Andrew.
 
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Thanks for the advice Brian, I have since Googled Eupeodes latifasciatus and still am none the wiser but can see quite a strong similarity. The link in your post does not seem to work for me even with the bracket removed from the end.

Terms like 'tergites' frighten me! I think I had best stick to just admiring hoverflies as with birds, butterflies, dragonflies and moths, I think I have a very full plate! ;)
 
Not scary. Link fixed. Check it and you'll see the yellow bands are broken in the middle. You can see it's a female because there's a gap between the eyes. In males they meet along the top of the head like your Eristalis.
 
Thanks Brian, a good field guide should be a help so I shall re-read this thread again to see what has been recommended so far.
 
This has been slow to dawn but of course these aren't Eupeodes at all. They're Syrphus spp.. Need much better photo including the hind legs to come to an ID.
 
Leucozona glaucia

I don't think this one has featured on here yet. Very distinctive with the blueish base to the abdomen, very narrow bands and yellow scutellum. Quite a few evident on umbellifers along Lathkill Dale in Derbyshire along with plenty of other hovers at the weekend. Had X. pedisequum in my garden for the first time too.
 

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Xylota segnis

Here's another view of Xylota segnis showing the distinct black spines on the underside of the hind femur.
 

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