The Hoverfly Thread (2 Viewers)

Brian Stone · Aug 14, 2005

Thanks very much for your comments Steve. Bicinctum looks distinctive. I think these Chrysotoxum species are among the most charismatic of the hovers.

Sorry I can't help immediately with your's SarahK but it looks o have got dusted all over with something.

SarahK · Aug 15, 2005

Brian - I think it might have been dead and going a bit mouldy or maybe diseased - in retrospect I should have poked it to see but I generally have a policy of not disturbing things if possible.

By the way, I like the pictures of Helophilus pendulus on your website - the one in profile is amazing.

steve covey · Aug 16, 2005

SarahK said:
Can anyone help with this hoverfly? I've gone through the websites that I know about and cannot find a match, and it's so distinctive I didn't think I would have a problem. Photo taken this morning on a sweet pea flower in the garden.

Hi Sarah,
I think your 'mouldy fly'

is a female Platycheirus - possibly angustatus as this is the most slender species of the group. It should be quite small [about 8mm long].
Cheers,

Steve.

Pterodroma · Aug 17, 2005

A very BIG hoverfly!

On another thread I asked if a hoverfly I photographed (copied here) could be identified. It was huge and I'm told it is Volucella zonaria, a hornet mimic. I live in Wiltshire, could someone please tell me the status of this hoverfly in the UK? Is it resident or a migrant? Is it common?

Many thanks!

steve covey · Aug 17, 2005

Pterodroma said:
On another thread I asked if a hoverfly I photographed (copied here) could be identified. It was huge and I'm told it is Volucella zonaria, a hornet mimic. I live in Wiltshire, could someone please tell me the status of this hoverfly in the UK? Is it resident or a migrant? Is it common?

Many thanks!

Hello from another Moonraker

Yes, definitely zonaria. I've had it once in my Swindon garden. I've attached a current [today] posting from the hoverflies yahoo group. Not sure if the link will work. You will probably need to register with the group to access it.

"Thanks to the various people who sent me additional records. I have updated the maps for both V. zonaria and V. inanis comparing the distribution up to 1994 with that for the most recent 10 years. These are in the photo-album on this eGroup

Volucella zonaria
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/uk-hoverflies/
HTH,
Steve.

Brian Stone · Aug 17, 2005

Brilliant Steve. I gave seen innanis a couple of times around here, including at least one in my garden (but none so far this year). Looks like I need to keep a look out for zonaria too.

Pterodroma · Aug 17, 2005

steve covey said:
Yes, definitely zonaria. I've had it once in my Swindon garden. I've attached a current [today] posting from the hoverflies yahoo group. Not sure if the link will work. You will probably need to register with the group to access it. Steve.

Many thanks Steve. I've registered with the yahoo group and accessed the range map.

I've been back to the same Buddleia only to find a different Volucella there - pellucens I believe? See the pic below. Also I'm absolutely new to these hoverflies - silly question maybe, but how do you tell a real bee from a mimic hoverfly. For example what is the other insect below, on the same Buddleia?

Cheers

Brian Stone · Aug 17, 2005

Yes to pellucens.

The other is a hoverfly and is an Eristalis species. Hopefully Steve will be along to give us some more info.

The easiest pointer to a hover rather than a bee is the eyes.

This is an excellent intro to hoverflies:
http://www.gardensafari.net/english/hoverflies.htm

steve covey · Aug 17, 2005

Pterodroma said:
Many thanks Steve. I've registered with the yahoo group and accessed the range map.

I've been back to the same Buddleia only to find a different Volucella there - pellucens I believe? See the pic below. Also I'm absolutely new to these hoverflies - silly question maybe, but how do you tell a real bee from a mimic hoverfly. For example what is the other insect below, on the same Buddleia?

Cheers

As Brian said the first two are pellucens. The last is Eristalis pertinax [mostly because of the pale front and mid tarsi]. The eyes are definately a good field characteristic - bee's being much smaller. You can also sex hoverflies by their eyes as males eyes meet at the top whereas females have a gap. Also they have two wings to the bee's four [although not that obvious as the bees wings are 'hooked' up and look like a single wing. Also, to use the birders parlance, the jizz is different; by and large hoverflies move around much more quickly with often jerky erratic action - and of course, many of the species hover a lot

If you wish to get more seriously involved then a 'must have' is British Hoverflies by Alan E. Stubbs and Steven J. Falk [around £30].
Cheers,

Steve.

Pterodroma · Aug 18, 2005

Thanks Brian and Steve, for the help with the hoverflies over the last couple of days

Pterodroma · Aug 23, 2005

Two more hoverflies for identifying

Taken today in Wiltshire - can someone advise the two species please?

steve covey · Aug 23, 2005

Pterodroma said:
Taken today in Wiltshire - can someone advise the two species please?

Hi Pterodroma,
they are both Eristalis spp. The left hand one is probably arbustorum and the other looks like tenax. Was this one much bigger than the first?
Cheers,

Steve.

Pterodroma · Aug 24, 2005

steve covey said:
Hi Pterodroma,
they are both Eristalis spp. The left hand one is probably arbustorum and the other looks like tenax. Was this one much bigger than the first?
Cheers,

Steve.

Hiya Steve

Yes, the second was much larger (it was a large species of hoverfly).

By the way, I'm intending getting the book you recommended (but it's currently about the fifth in line!!)

Best wishes

Brian Stone · Jun 28, 2006

Does anyone recognise this distinctive-looking fella please?

steve covey · Jun 28, 2006

brianhstone said:
Does anyone recognise this distinctive-looking fella please?

Hi Brian,
it looks like a worn specimen of Cheilosia illustrata to me. There is usually more of a covering of coloured hairs on the tergites but looking at the state of it's wings it's been through the mill!
Cheers,

Steve.

Brian Stone · Jun 28, 2006

Thanks Steve, I like that suggestion. It was starting to annoy me. I was even considering a wasted lucorum.

Roger Morris · Sep 3, 2006

SarahK said:
Can anyone help with this hoverfly? I've gone through the websites that I know about and cannot find a match, and it's so distinctive I didn't think I would have a problem. Photo taken this morning on a sweet pea flower in the garden.

Sarah

This is Melanostoma scalare - very clear from the dust marks on the frons. The other dusting is a fungal attack that often hits Melanostoma and Platycheirus.

Any data on where photographed, when and grid ref?

Roger Morris - see www.hoverfly.org.uk for contact details

Roger Morris · Sep 3, 2006

brianhstone said:
A couple more from a weekend near Winchester, which provided a few hoverfly and cricket firsts for me.

I think the first of these is Volucella zonaria, a large hornet mimic. The reddish thoracic dorsum and scutellum are indicative even if the size isn't obvious.

The secon is a Chrysotoxum species, perhaps arcuatum?

I'd still be grateful for any comments on the previous insects.

Ta!

Brian

The Chrysotoxum is festivum - arcuatum is a northern species close to verallii

Do you have details of records? the recording scheme is interested in records that we can verify - see www.hoverfly.org.uk for contact details

Regards

Roger Morris

Roger Morris · Sep 3, 2006

steve covey said:
Hi Brian,
it looks like a worn specimen of Cheilosia illustrata to me. There is usually more of a covering of coloured hairs on the tergites but looking at the state of it's wings it's been through the mill!
Cheers,

Steve.

No, this is Leucozona lucorum - the scutellum is yellowish and the shape is wrong for C. illustrata

Regards

Roger Morris

Roger Morris · Sep 3, 2006

138mph said:
Hi,
One of these is Helophilus pendulus, but I don't recognise the others but they look as if they should be identifiable. I have larger images on my website:

http://www.eimagesite.net/s1/gst/run.cgi?action=images&prid=926&skrlist=926,925,924,920

Thanks in advance,
Hugh

Hello Hugh

the second one is a Parhelophilus - but cannot say which. I've looked at your website and may be able to help with quite a few of the images - contact me at roger dot morris at dsl dot pipex dot com - I think I'll need to look at originals but can probably do a reasonable proportion.

Hope you've got details of where and when photographed as the data would be useful for the recording scheme

Regards

Roger Morris

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