Hoverflies mating?

[SteveF48]

These look like two hoverflies, Sphaerophoria scripta, mating. The one on the left is presumably the female and looks very different, more like Eupeodes nitens.

Have I correctly identified both of them?
Thanks
Steve

[Jason Green]

Afternoon Steve,

The Sphaerophoria group are difficult! The male scripta is the only one that can be identified fairly positively from a good photograph as far as I am aware, as the wings are shorter than the length of the abdomen.

Here, the abdomens are curled and so makes it difficult to assess the length of body compared to wing, but from what I can see - the body is longer, so I think scripta rather cautiously! You'd need a microscope and specimen to get further, and look at the male's genital capsule. I discussed this with Roger Morris recently - very interesting.

A key for some of the female Sphaerophoria spp. was devised in Finland to attempt to identify them without microscopics, though it is thought unreliable - I wouldn't go down that road personally.

Take care,

Jason

[Geoff F]

Yes that is typical colouration for a S. scripta female. The yellow abdomen bands are much narrower than the male. But there is also a common male form with narrower bands which can sometimes be divided into spots.

But as Jason said, Sphaerophoria species are all so variable it is rather dangerous to regard any of them as being typical of a species. The safest approach is to add 'possible' to the identification.

[Dogghound]

This is indeed Sphaerophoria scripta. The yellow thoratic stripe extends from the humerus to the scutellum (Whole length). In other species this stops half way from the humerus to the furrow, Some species with short abdomens can show a long stripe although here the abdomen looks longer than the wings.