Big beautiful hoverfly for ID please, and a small one

[Dillybythesea]

I assumed this must be Merodon equestris, except everywhere it seems to say their legs are black? So then I've no idea! Help would be lovely.
And then on a much smaller scale, and no face shot I'm afraid, was this fellow, who looked a bit like the Xylota segnis in the garden the other day, but that didn't have the white hairs on the femora I don't think, and the spines seemed shorter?

[Geoff F]

You are correct, the leg colour is wrong for Merodon. And there is a dark patch on the wing.

Added together, that gives you Eristalis intricarius.

How big was the Xylota segnis? I'm wondering about X. tarda which is similar but slightly smaller; and the dark instead of white hair would fit.

[Geoff F]

Having fetched 'the book' for a double check, I'm still undecided.

I don't suppose you have a clear shot of the abdomen, which would make things easy.

One angle seems to have a narrow black 'spike' across the top of tergite 2 - like X. segnis. But the other view looks shorter and more rounded for this black mark - like X. tarda.

However, X. segnis is by far the more likely.

[Dillybythesea]

Many thanks indeed for Eristalis intricarius, Geoff - that's not one I've had before. Excellent! And thanks too for trying with the Xylota sp. I'll keep my eys open for him and see if I can't get an abdomen shot as well next time! Thanks again - Rhona

[Dillybythesea]

Just a PS Geoff... I've been reading up re your comments, and have come across your posting of last year and then one of Janet's (17.07.10) and can see what a thorny question it is - which makes it doubly kind of you to bother with my fleeting and unhelpful shots, and not just walk by on the other side.

[Geoff F]

Trying to identify other people's specimens helps to improve my identification skills and even to practice on species which I have yet to encounter. It's all part of the learning process.

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by Geoff F

Trying to identify other people's specimens helps to improve my identification skills and even to practice on species which I have yet to encounter. It's all part of the learning process.

Just as an aside, it isn't 'identifying other people's specimens' unless it's a voucher they have sent you which you're working on. It's more identifying individuals in photographs - specimens are physical objects that you can work on, ie. a specimen of breath, blood, invertebrate or other

It's certainly a good way of familiarising yourself with other groups though I agree, there are a good few more northern insects I have little chance of encountering myself - in fact Rhona seems to have a good few habitat-specific finds I haven't seen personally

[Dillybythesea]

Well, for whatever reason you help identify individuals in photographs, it's the likes of you two that make this website such a great learning resource. Long may it/ you/ your patience last!

[JRsbugs]

The second is Xylota segnis male, you can see the row of spines under the hind femur.

X. tarda is rare, but seeing the rare species I'm getting so far north of London ( to Jason) there is every reason to consider them too!