Couple of Fly IDs Please

[Lester]

If it is possible from the pics.

#1


#2

[Jason Green]

Evening Lester,

The first is Eristalis tenax (two lines of hairs on eyes).

Take care,

Jason

[Lester]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Evening Lester,

The first is Eristalis tenax (two lines of hairs on eyes).

Take care,

Jason

Great thanks Jason, I thought it might be.

I suspect #2 is too poor a view to tell.

[Geoff F]

The second also looks like a hoverfly (I think there is definitely a cross vein near the wing tip) but from that angle there would be several possibilities.

But it does appear to be an egg filled female.

[Jason Green]

The second... not too sure, but thinking either Melanostoma or likely Platycheirus. I'll go through my collection and get back to you.

[JRsbugs]

Second fly is Melanostoma, can't really say if it's scalare or mellinum without seeing the face better.

Janet

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

I'll go through my collection and get back to you.

Sorry for the delay! I'm pretty sure it's Melanostoma mellinum - the antennae are notably more orangey with M. scalare. The latter also has all-orange femora, whereas your image shows shaded ones dorsally which my mellinum has.

As for dust-spots, holding it at all angles under 20x shows itself well whereas yours isn't too obvious.

To summarise, I believe it's a gravid female Melanostoma mellinum, though usual photo-cautiousness applies

[JRsbugs]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Sorry for the delay! I'm pretty sure it's Melanostoma mellinum - the antennae are notably more orangey with M. scalare. The latter also has all-orange femora, whereas your image shows shaded ones dorsally which my mellinum has.

As for dust-spots, holding it at all angles under 20x shows itself well whereas yours isn't too obvious.

To summarise, I believe it's a gravid female Melanostoma mellinum, though usual photo-cautiousness applies

If anyone now thinks they can identify Melanostoma by using this criteria, forget it.

The two things which you should be looking for mainly are, according to Van Veen:

1) Face and frons dusted, dull; arista short haired -> Melanostoma scalare

2) Face and frons shining; arista almost bare -> Melanostoma mellinum

Anything else is guessing, you need to see the face!

For someone who has this in a collection, not to instantly recognise Melanostoma apart from Platycheirus is telling.

I don't want anyone here to be misled, all in the name of correctness.

[Lester]

Many thanks for all the inputs. Down as Hoverfly, pos Melanostoma mellinum (gravid female), I think given one poor shot some caution is wise.

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

If anyone now thinks they can identify Melanostoma by using this criteria, forget it.

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

For someone who has this in a collection, not to instantly recognise Melanostoma apart from Platycheirus is telling.

Of course you can side-by-side easily-enough in a collection, or in the field with experience. In the case of a 'cryptic' photo such as this, such details unfortunately aren't particularly available - so the use of a key is rather limited, and best used with specimens. In this case I viewed two specimens side-by-side in reality, and offered my thoughts on the distinction between the two, what 'hits' you when you can't see the vital bits on the target specimen too clearly. The femoral and antennal colouration seemed rather striking over a few specimens, but did say that I'm not certain.

Have a nice day!