Insect IDs please - Cambs. UK (1 Viewer)

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DoghouseRiley

Well-known member

• Sep 4, 2020

• #1

Hi All

Took these pics a short while back at Trumpington Meadows, near Cambridge, UK. And I am struggling to idenify.

1 - The only pic I have of this small elusive hoverfly.
2 - Another hoverfly. I have other pics but this one I think shows the relative parts required. I just can't find it!
3 - One of the many wasps with long ovipositors
4 - Another wasp. Interestingly, orange bodied, front and mid pairs of legs are black, rear legs orange with black ends, short antenae. I found a number of wasps similar but not with short antenae or with similar rear legs.

Thanks, Gareth

 

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aeshna5

Well-known member

• Sep 4, 2020

• #2

I think:
1 is a Platycheirus sp
2 Sphaerophoria sp

 

D

DoghouseRiley

Well-known member

• Sep 4, 2020

• #3

Thanks, aeshna5.

With the wings shorter than the body, would that make No2 = scripta?

 

Ficedula

velico ergo sum

• Sep 4, 2020

• #4

1 - The only pic I have of this small elusive hoverfly. Platychirus scutatus agg.
2 - Another hoverfly. I have other pics but this one I think shows the relative parts required. I just can't find it! Sphaerophoria
3 - One of the many wasps with long ovipositors Ichneumonidae - Pimplinae
4 - Another wasp. Interestingly, orange bodied, front and mid pairs of legs are black, rear legs orange with black ends, short antenae. I found a number of wasps similar but not with short antenae or with similar rear legs. Braconidae

 

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DoghouseRiley

Well-known member

• Sep 4, 2020

• #5

Thanks Ficedula. I am presuming that pics 2-4 cannot be identified to the actual species from the photo?
Yours, Gareth

 

Ficedula

velico ergo sum

• Sep 4, 2020

• #6

DoghouseRiley said:

Thanks Ficedula. I am presuming that pics 2-4 cannot be identified to the actual species from the photo?
Yours, Gareth

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Not by me, and nor can 1. note the agg. P. scutatus is a complex of three species only identifiable as males.

 

R

Rotherbirder

Well-known member

• Sep 5, 2020

• #7

DoghouseRiley said:

Thanks, aeshna5.

With the wings shorter than the body, would that make No2 = scripta?

Click to expand...

No, not necessarily, because the Sphaerophoria is a female, none of which can be identified to species!

RB

 

Ficedula

velico ergo sum

• Sep 6, 2020

• #8

Rotherbirder said:

No, not necessarily, because the Sphaerophoria is a female, none of which can be identified to species!

RB

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except Sphaerophoria loewi & rueppellii which are distinctive. Old keys do claim scripta can be identified on wing v body length but I doubt this has been sufficiently researched.

 

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DoghouseRiley

Well-known member

• Sep 6, 2020

• #9

Thanks Rotherbirder for your help

 

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DoghouseRiley

Well-known member

• Sep 6, 2020

• #10

Thanks Ficedula again

 

R

Rotherbirder

Well-known member

• Sep 9, 2020

• #11

Ficedula said:

except Sphaerophoria loewi & rueppellii which are distinctive. Old keys do claim scripta can be identified on wing v body length but I doubt this has been sufficiently researched.

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Gareth,

To clarify, male rueppellii & loewi are fairly distinctive in comparison with other male Sphaerophoria spp. but genitalia should still be checked for definitive ID. Females of all Sphaerophoria spp. are currently not reliably identifiable to species.

RB

 

Ficedula

velico ergo sum

• Sep 9, 2020

• #12

Rotherbirder said:

Gareth,

To clarify, male rueppellii & loewi are fairly distinctive in comparison with other male Sphaerophoria spp. but genitalia should still be checked for definitive ID. Females of all Sphaerophoria spp. are currently not reliably identifiable to species.

RB

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I disagree, females of these two species are easily identified.

 

D

DoghouseRiley

Well-known member

• Sep 10, 2020

• #13

Hi Ficedula
Have you considered creating a key regarding this. It is something that I am sure many people would be interetsed in and at the moment I can't find anything online that helps.
Yours, Gareth