Hoverfly help

[sebastianbawn]

All these hover flies were found in Bristol around a pond, they seemed to be skimming the top. Can anyone help with species and male/female ID's

[JRsbugs]

Syrphidae Helophilus pendulus, I think they are males, the eyes don't meet as in most flies but they are larger.

Janet

[Geoff F]

No doubt about the ID and I would agree with male. The sides of the eyes, when viewed from above, are parallel in males but slightly V shaped (wider in front) with females.

But one of them has an interesting colour variation with a rather reddish area on the hind femur and slight abdominal variation. But they can have considerable colour differences between individuals.