For once a Sphaerophoria ID?!

[Dillybythesea]

Somebody in this forum once said "The only time you can reliably identify a female UK Sphaerophoria from photos is if you catch it mating with a male S. scripta" - a comment I so enjoyed I copied into my notes. (I should have made a note of who said it!) Anyway, with these two today, I'm thinking that since the male's wings are shorter than the body, and if that's conclusive (?) of S. scripta males, then the one on the right of the photo is a female Sphaerophoria scripta - yes?!?

[Geoff F]

That looks OK to me.

Incidentally, I just looked back over my records and my last Sphaerophoria sighting was exactly one month ago. But they can go on a bit longer some years.

They were rather slow starting for me this year, with the first sighting on 23/06/11 which was a month later than the previous year.

[Dillybythesea]

Thanks Geoff! Then I shall keep looking out for them, and see when our latest is here. Beng very new to all this, it amazes me how different species seem to vanish for weeks and then reappear, and I don't yet know if it's me (lack of consistency in looking) or them! I expect if I stick with it all will be revealed, as clearly it has with you! ATB, Rhona

[JRsbugs]

Nice to have got them mating! I saw a male yesterday on the grass near the road, I was about to take a shot when a car went past and scared it off! Later I saw a female hovering at Ivy flowers but she got scared off too. I imagine they might be meeting up or already have done.