RECORDS Syrphid (Hover) flies for ID

[Geoff F]

With regard to your Sphaerophoria, Janet.

The scripta males look OK for abdomen length. One of the chief problems with this species is that from some angles the abdomen can appear foreshortened which makes them easily confused with other species.

Batava and fatarum are 2 of the most difficult to identify; but both are mostly found on heathland or breaks in conifer woods.

Stubbs continues with batava having continuous yellow bands on T2 & T4. Fatarum usually has spots in pairs or sometimes only slightly fused; also, some specimens can have the thorax yellow side stripe broken but this isn't reliable.

To my untrained eyes, in some respects, your fatarum appears rather similar in colouration to one version of scripta which Stubbs illustrates. But without microscopic examination . . .