Cheilosia sp.

[peterbolson]

I would be very grateful for some help with this. I think they are an incredibly difficult group.
I found it along my usual woodland ride. WL 9mm, male.
I think it belongs to S&F's Carbonaria group & is provbably C.vernalis but it seems a bit large & a no of features don't fit eg no orange on tibiae. However I know it can be very variable.
The following features might help :
Eyes hairy ( black hairs )
Antennae all black
Legs all black except for yellow mid tarsal segments
Sternites glossy inc. pregenital segment
Hairs on tergites erect & pale

Any views would be very gratefully received.
Peter

[oxycera]

Those front tarsi suggest albitarsis/ranunculi

[peterbolson]

That was actually my first thought John but I went off it because I couldn't see any orange on the halteres ( pale white ) & the third antennal segments are very long, nothing like those of albitarsis/ranunculi . Also I thought that with these only the front tarsi should have the yellow tarsal segments 2-4.
Peter

[oxycera]

Right, and they are usually found on dandelion in damp meadows. I'll have to have another think.

[peterbolson]

Hello John
I wondered if you had had time to think about this, or should I just put it down as Cheilosia sp. I do still have it if there is anything more you would like to know.
Peter

[Roger Morris]

Hello Peter

The best you can call it is Cheilosia albitarsis agg.

The Recorder package has the capacity to record as agg. so we can use this record.

Regards

Roger