RECORDS Syrphid (Hover) flies for ID

Geoff F · #41 (**permalink**) 28-11-2009, 11:39 PM

My plan, if I get time, is to draw out some hoverfly outlines then add in notes about all the tips for identifying. With one outline for each species.

Then print them out with the commonest species of each family grouped together.

The trouble is so much else keeps cropping up!

This old internet use computer also keeps stalling and programmes stop responding. This site seems worse, particularly when there are animated adverts. I think I now have so many anti virus and other updates scattered around that the machine is struggling for breath, despite frequent clear outs of old files. It's probably time for replacement. I have some decent computer equipment for my photo editing and file storage but I won't allow that anywhere near the internet!

JRsbugs · #42 (**permalink**) 28-11-2009, 11:54 PM

Lol, my trouble is too many pics to get through but winter will see some progress if the lines improve. I've had a lot of trouble for the past week, a lot of the time I have no phone either but the internet will work, or there is extreme noise on the phone. It took 3 attempts to get the E. tenax males loaded as I have consistently been cut off today, worse tonight but I'm guessing lines were hogged by voting on the X-factor. I must have restarted the computer and reconfigured the connection at least 30 times tonight! I need the internet with my pics to be able to research.

It would seem the winds have caused much more damage than they should have if you are getting problems too, they were not that strong!

JRsbugs · #43 (**permalink**) 29-11-2009, 06:42 PM

Eupeodes corollae males and females.

I have pics from 14th June for females and 21st June 2009 for males. Most abundant in July when you might see the mating.

Females have yellow marks on the abdomen not joined in the middle but some can be close, they always join the side margin of the abdomen which separates it from Eupeodes luniger. I had one with narrower marks than most have, which I have uploaded but it still looks like E. corollae.

Males usually have squarish marks joined in the middle like a pair of glasses, always reaching the sides. They can be separated in the middle in some cases but usually not all the spots are separated, check they reach the sides to separate from male E. luniger where the marks don't reach the sides.

JRsbugs · #44 (**permalink**) 29-11-2009, 07:16 PM

Eupeodes luniger males and females.

Earliest pic this year of female on 20th May, earliest male on 28th June 2009.

Both males and females have yellow marks which do not reach the sides of the abdomen. Last pic I have is on 5th August of a male.

JRsbugs · #45 (**permalink**) 29-11-2009, 07:43 PM

Ferdinandea cuprea female.

First ever sighting this year, on 23rd June and 19th July 2009. There is a Eupeodes luniger on the top flower of Dierrama which gives a good size comparison.

This one is unmistakable.

There is however another, Ferdinandea ruficornis which is very scarce and looks similar, the antennae having a different shape. If you have the Goat Moth Cossus cossus you may have this fly too.

I have to add that as far as I know the fly on the Dierrama is Ferdinandea cuprea but that is the only shot I got. Looking at it more closely it has larger black (lower single) spots than the first one but I'm not sure of the exact differences.

JRsbugs · #46 (**permalink**) 30-11-2009, 04:13 PM

Adding to the previous post, I do have an old Horse Chestnut tree which has a sap run.

(Skipping Eumerus until I sort my second one out.)

Helophilus pendulus, males and females.

Male, earliest record this year 11th May, latest 24th October 2009. Males have a gap between the eyes but it is narrower than females, and the top section has more or less parallel edges.

Two other features to separate males from females are:

1) Look at the last abdominal tail section, females have two small stripes where males have a rounded tail end without stripes.

2) On males I have noticed the 3rd abdominal section has a smaller black space between the yellow, on females the black extends along the top edge of the yellow as a general rule but there may be variations.

This one should be quite easy but seems to present doubts. The only other Helophilus which is not rare or near non-existant here are H. trivittatus and H. hybridus. Be aware also of Parahelophilus.

I found a Helophilus key (from the French site with the Eristalis key) which should help.

Google Translate

H. trivittatus is much different on the abdominal pattern. The difference to look for between H. pendulus and H. hybridus is on the hind legs with H. pendulus having the apex 1/3 approx. of the femora and top part of the tibia by at least half or more yellow. H. hybridus has only the very end of the femora and approx. 1/3 of top part of tibia yellow.

These can be variable in colour. I have also noticed males don't look to have as much yellow (or red-yellow) on the femora as females as can be seen in the copulation pic.

Geoff F · #47 (**permalink**) 01-12-2009, 07:05 PM

Well here, in the extreme south, I can beat you by a few weeks with the first H. pendulus - 19th April in a woodland clearing beside the estuary.

I usually see the odd H. trivittatus in my garden during August or September but never common here.

ps. Those Van Veen ID keys look very interesting. Some of the photos didn't appear but that may be due to them not being in current use. I will print them out in case the links get broken. The Stubbs book has good keys to get to family level but thereafter they often rely on genitalia to progress to the next level; which usually makes identification of a photo impossible.

JRsbugs · #48 (**permalink**) 02-12-2009, 04:44 PM

I checked my first pic of Helophilus pendulus from last year, a day difference on 12th May.

Leucozona lucorum, female.

This is supposed to be quite common but it's the first I have seen to my knowledge, and the only pic I have. Taken on 24th May 2009 on Choisya ternata.