The Hoverfly Thread (4 Viewers)

Gavia_immer · Jul 24, 2010

Ficedula said:
not tenax, somewhere close to arbustorum but definitely one for specimen only det, especially as its from Spain.

Thanks again, Ficedula!! Yes, I see what you mean. I have been checking and yes, it might be something very related to arbustorum.

Enough of Eristalis :-O I have found quite a number of specimens of Sphaerophoria At first I simply decided that all were Sphaerophoria scripta but checking carefully I realized that they are too different and might be another species involved. What about this one? Sphaerophoria scripta? Sphaerophoria rueppellii? Or something else?

Ficedula · Jul 24, 2010

well if they were British then they would be Sphaerophoria scripta, wings not reaching tip of abdomen. I am not aware of any confusion sp. in Spain, but my knowledge of Iberian diptera is far from complete.

Gavia_immer · Jul 24, 2010

Ficedula said:
well if they were British then they would be Sphaerophoria scripta, wings not reaching tip of abdomen. I am not aware of any confusion sp. in Spain, but my knowledge of Iberian diptera is far from complete.

WOW!! I have learnt something here! Really I had no idea what would separate S. scripta from others of the genus. I thought it would be the pattern of the abdomen.

I have checked pics in the Internet of S. rueppellii before uploading my pictures and looks the same to me. Probably misidentifications? :eek!: What is the best ID tip to separate S. scripta from S. rueppellii?

Ficedula · Jul 24, 2010

Gavia_immer said:
WOW!! I have learnt something here! Really I had no idea what would separate S. scripta from others of the genus. I thought it would be the pattern of the abdomen.

I have checked pics in the Internet of S. rueppellii before uploading my pictures and looks the same to me. Probably misidentifications? :eek!: What is the best ID tip to separate S. scripta from S. rueppellii?

what book are you using? if none get van Veen, does not cover spain but will help considerably.

S. rueppellii lateral yellow thoracic stripe interrupted before wing.

Gavia_immer · Jul 25, 2010

Ficedula said:
what book are you using? if none get van Veen, does not cover spain but will help considerably.

S. rueppellii lateral yellow thoracic stripe interrupted before wing.

Thanks again, Ficedula!! o

I am not using any book. I have just discovered Hoverflies. But seeing how much I am getting obsessed with them, I'd better get one :-O Thanks for the book suggestion! :t:

By the information you have provided I guess this one is a S. scripta for sure, isn't it? Have more pics of other specimens. If I find someting unusual I will post it.

And thanks for your patience too, Ficedula! :t:

Ficedula · Jul 25, 2010

scripta if it were in GB, for Spain you will have to do your own research to be sure no other species have a long abdomen.

Gavia_immer · Jul 25, 2010

Ficedula said:
scripta if it were in GB, for Spain you will have to do your own research to be sure no other species have a long abdomen.

The ones I know have a long abdomen and are common are scripta and ruppelli. There might be some more in Spain but are not common. So I think I can be 99% sure it is scripta.

And see what I have found. Taken In the outskirts of Madrid at the begining of June. Can that be considered a 'lateral yellow thoracic stripe interrupted before wing'? All the others I have are clearly scripta.

Ficedula · Jul 26, 2010

Gavia_immer said:
The ones I know have a long abdomen and are common are scripta and ruppelli. There might be some more in Spain but are not common. So I think I can be 99% sure it is scripta.

And see what I have found. Taken In the outskirts of Madrid at the begining of June. Can that be considered a 'lateral yellow thoracic stripe interrupted before wing'? All the others I have are clearly scripta.

ruppelli has a short, clavate, abdomen, not exceeding wing tips.
your photo is female scripta type, lateral thoracic stripe clearly continuous above wing.

Gavia_immer · Jul 26, 2010

Ficedula said:
ruppelli has a short, clavate, abdomen, not exceeding wing tips.
your photo is female scripta type, lateral thoracic stripe clearly continuous above wing.

Well, I have it clear now! And obviosly all pics I found of rueppellii are clearly misidentifications. Thanks a lot for all the information, Ficedula! :t:

The last shots of mystery Hoverflies I have. Still haven't worked with them so they might be even easy to ID but I have no idea what they are.

Ficedula · Jul 26, 2010

Helophilus hybridus Loew, 1846 (Spanish lookalikes not ruled out)
Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer, 1776)

Gavia_immer · Jul 26, 2010

Ficedula said:
Helophilus hybridus Loew, 1846 (Spanish lookalikes not ruled out)
Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer, 1776)

OMG! That was quick!! Thanks a lot once more!! :t:

I promise this is the last Hoverfly I post :smoke: I find it different to E. tenax and E. arbustorum Any chance of E. interrupta?

Ficedula · Jul 27, 2010

none of these show characters well but prob all tenax

Gavia_immer · Jul 29, 2010

Ficedula said:
none of these show characters well but prob all tenax

Thanks!! :t:

Run out of Hoverflies pics now :-O Thanks again for all your help, Ficedula! Cheers! B

gradders52 · Aug 3, 2010

UK/Hoverflies? Complete beginner

I've noticed the frustration of 'those in the know' with complete beginners ak a masen, but ya gotta start somewhere.

So the first point is, any advice on source material, best books, web sites to visit, links on this site etc would be greatly appreciated. Despite searches, doesn't always lead very far... you can't find what you are looking for, if you don't know what you are looking for!

Attached are some images you might be able to help with.

Not sure 1 is even a hoverfly!

2 and 3, while different insects are the same species I think, similarly with 3 and 4.

I included 3 & 4 because I noticed the variation in 'smaller thin black stripe' across 'the backs' of these two and wonder if it made any difference (gender/age etc).

My book reference is extremeley limited and will have to save up for better reference.

Many thanks... I'm afraid I may in time post some other dumb stuff on the main forum threads too... so just ignore.

Thank You.
g

PS
I have had trouble following this forum/thread in as much as, coming to it historically, with 'timelapse', I'm not always sure who is replying to what, so if the info is already on here, my apologies.

Brian Stone · Aug 3, 2010

1. Eristalis sp.
2/3. Scaevia pyrastri
4/5. Episyrphus balteatus

michael23 · Aug 3, 2010

have 1 for id please, would have been 3 but got 2 of the above in gradders5's post

gradders52 · Aug 4, 2010

Thank You

Brian Stone said:
1. Eristalis sp.
2/3. Scaevia pyrastri
4/5. Episyrphus balteatus

Thanks Brian

That is a great help and a great start... I can at least research what I'm lookng at now.
THANK YOU
g

PS
Any thoughts in the variation in 3 & 4 re the secondary black bands on the 3rd and 4th dorsal plates or just down to 'variation'?

Ficedula · Aug 4, 2010

buy
BRITISH HOVERFLIES AN ILLUSTRATED IDENTIFICATION GUIDE - Second edition
By Alan Stubbs and Steven Falk

Brian Stone · Aug 5, 2010

gradders52 said:
Thanks Brian

That is a great help and a great start... I can at least research what I'm lookng at now.
THANK YOU
g

PS
Any thoughts in the variation in 3 & 4 re the secondary black bands on the 3rd and 4th dorsal plates or just down to 'variation'?

Normal intra-specific variation.

thorin · Aug 6, 2010

Another hoverfly for id please in the Xanthogramma family i think

cheers Nick

The Hoverfly Thread (4 Viewers)

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