Today's hoverfly for ID help please

[Dillybythesea]

Was great to see this in the garden today - my first of the year! Looking at last year's pics, I'm wondering about Platycheirus scutatus? (If so, my notes say females in the aggregate can't be distinguished visually, so then do you put Platycheirus scutatus SL?)

[Anomalous]

Meliscaeva auricollis, which overwinters and so is often about early in the year.

Platycheirus have a dark scutellum, whereas this is yellowish. Nice to see a hover so early...it will be a while still, up here around York!

Ian

[Dillybythesea]

Many thanks Ian! A new one for me, and good to have the info about the scutellum, and the overwintering too. Rhona

[Geoff F]

This species can be a bit tricky to identify, Rhona, due to colour variations.

Early, and late in the year they are often quite dark. The abdomen spots can vary between silver and fairly bright yellow.

The angle of spots, which leaves a dark triangle behind, is a good clue.

[Dillybythesea]

Many thanks for those points Geoff! Now you've pointed it out, if I'm understanding correctly, the dark spots are distinctly arrow-shaped. I shall keep my eyes open for others now. ATB, Rhona