Unidentified Bee or Wasp - Help with I.D. please.

[davemangham]

Any help with an I.D. on this would be appreciated



Thanks in anticipation.

Dave

[nutmeg]

It's a hoverfly rather than a bee or wasp (and a good mimic!) - it's an Eristalis sp. and possibly E. pertinax, although I'm not good enough to tell from this view.

[tristanba]

I think it is a male E. pertinax but the angle of the abdomen makes it look rather wider than it is

[davemangham]

Thanks "Nutmeg" (or should it be Rachel?).

I got a few more photos, all pretty awful, but from them I can discern that the rear legs ARE NOT all black, so I guess that rules out E.tenax at least.

What else should I be looking for to confirm the species?

Dave

[davemangham]

Thanks also to you "Tristanba". It looks almost like a majority decision.

Dave

[tristanba]

If the front and middle tarsi (feet) are pale and the abdomen rather tapered, then it is E. pertinax. In your shot from above the abdomen appears to be curled downwards so may appear less elongated than it is

[davemangham]

Front and middle tarsi are both pale yellow, and a different angle appears to show a quite tapering body.

So I guess E.pertinax it is!

Thanks for the help folks.

Dave