The Hoverfly Thread (1 Viewer)

[Ficedula]

any chance guys?
Santurtzi Spain.

Volucella probably zonaria but need to see more details

 

[Gavia_immer]

i agree

Thanks once more, Ficedula!! :t:

But can you clarify my 3rd picture? I don't know if it is a Syrphus or something else.

 

[Gavia_immer]

Would Hornet Hoverfly occur in Devon (UK)? I ask as earlier this afternoon I spotted a 'Hornet' at rest on the border edging but on second glance it was actually a hoverfly and it took off before I even thought of going for the camera.

I saw a Hornet Hoverfly in Nottingham on August the 11th. Unfortunately it also flew away before I could take any picture but what I saw with my bare eye was extremely similar to a Hornet Hoverfly I saw in Spain and which I could photograph. Have to look for that picture and show it to you so that you can say if it was similar to what you saw and somebody mighthelp you to ID it.

Keep an eye on here because I will post my picture today sometime. I need a bit of time to find it and prepare it to upload it :t:

 

[Andrew]

I saw a Hornet Hoverfly in Nottingham on August the 11th. Unfortunately it also flew away before I could take any picture but what I saw with my bare eye was extremely similar to a Hornet Hoverfly I saw in Spain and which I could photograph. Have to look for that picture and show it to you so that you can say if it was similar to what you saw and somebody mighthelp you to ID it.

Keep an eye on here because I will post my picture today sometime. I need a bit of time to find it and prepare it to upload it :t:

Thanks for that, I look forward to the picture.

 

[Gavia_immer]

Thanks for that, I look forward to the picture.

Here is the picture!! I think it is Volucella zonaria but I have no idea if there is a similar species in Spain. But I saw something in Nottingham that looked like this, so I assume that the one in Nottingham at least is V. zonaria. I don't think it can be confused with something else in England.

And the map with the British range of it:

http://www.hoverfly.org.uk/portal.php?id=11526&scol=HFF0000&bkgrd=1&ecol=H0000FF&page=4

 

[aeshna5]

That is indeed V.zonaria. The only confusion species would be the smaller V. inanis which lacks the chestnut or indeed Hornet itself, though the behaviour is very different.

 

[robhope]

One for confirmation and one for ID

Here is hoping that the first one is Helophilus pendulus and the second one maybe a Syrus (vitripennis?).

Any thoughts?

robhope

Egrets, I've had a few

 

[Wildmoreway]

Picture of Volucella zonaria seen yesterday while waiting for train at Torquay Station, I also saw one same last year on Preston Down near Paignton.

Interestingly it was hanging around near the entrance to a wasps nest (did not check the species).

 

[Andrew]

Here is the picture!! I think it is Volucella zonaria but I have no idea if there is a similar species in Spain. But I saw something in Nottingham that looked like this, so I assume that the one in Nottingham at least is V. zonaria. I don't think it can be confused with something else in England.

And the map with the British range of it:

http://www.hoverfly.org.uk/portal.php?id=11526&scol=HFF0000&bkgrd=1&ecol=H0000FF&page=4

That looks spot on but the colours seemed crisper if that makes sense which might be down to the light conditions. This makes a good case for always having at least a small compact camera in my pocket whenever I am in the garden!

Thanks,
Andrew.

 

[Wildmoreway]

That looks spot on but the colours seemed crisper if that makes sense which might be down to the light conditions. This makes a good case for always having at least a small compact camera in my pocket whenever I am in the garden!

Thanks,
Andrew.

I think I have seen some one off another forum mention seeing them at Bowling Green Marsh near Topsham.

The Preston Down near Paignton site might be worth a visit as it has also has Brown Hairstreaks (area I see them as well as also seeing a Hornet Hoverfly last year) was in the lower corner to the west side (just above some allotments) where there is a thicket of Blackthorns.

Picture was taken Nikon D90 with 55 to 200 lens, and not the best lighting conditions, I usually get better shots off my Panny FZ38.

 

[Andrew]

I think I may have never been to Preston Down but I intend to visit Orley Common for Brown Hairstreaks as soon as the bank holiday weekend is over to allow the Grockles time to get out of the way.

 

[Wildmoreway]

Saw a female Brown Hairstreak at Preston Down this afternoon.

 

[Ficedula]

Thanks once more, Ficedula!! :t:

But can you clarify my 3rd picture? I don't know if it is a Syrphus or something else.

probably Syrphus but you really need to collect these to have complete confidence.

 

[Ficedula]

Helophilus pendulus correct
Syrphus sp

 

[Gavia_immer]

probably Syrphus but you really need to collect these to have complete confidence.

Thanks once more, Ficedula!! :t:

And what about this other Eristalis? The pictures were taken in a field by a forest in the middle of nowhere in the Midlands, somewhere near Bewdley. I know it cannot be tenax or pertinax (unless I still haven't got those two right) as it seems to have a dark mark in both wings. It also stroke me how colourful it was, although I don't think this can be of any help in ID.

 

[Ficedula]

this must be Eristalis horticola (De Geer, 1776), a sufficiently well marked male to be confident.

 

[Gavia_immer]

this must be Eristalis horticola (De Geer, 1776), a sufficiently well marked male to be confident.

Thanks a lot!! This was a nice surprise!! :t:

And now one that I haven't the foggiest idea. Very small, taken in the same location in the Midlands but feeding by some brambles. At some point it just sat like that and didn't care how much I approached.

I saw something reasonably similar in the same place that I think is Pipizella virens with an enterely different hairy thorax and much darker. But I still have to process all those pictures. I am going to try to post them next in order to compare and confirm ID.

 

[robhope]

Helophilus pendulus correct
Syrphus sp

Thank you again Ficedula.

robhope

Egrets, I've had a few

 

[Gavia_immer]

I didn't think my female hoverfly in post '337' wasn't easy to ID, at least the genus :-C

Anyway, this male was pretty common around the same location and I even thought about the possibility of being the same species of my previous post although they look rather different. I thought it could be a Pipizella but it also could be a Melanostoma. I am lost with these little ones. Help, Please!!

 

[Ficedula]

Thanks a lot!! This was a nice surprise!! :t:

And now one that I haven't the foggiest idea. Very small, taken in the same location in the Midlands but feeding by some brambles. At some point it just sat like that and didn't care how much I approached.

I saw something reasonably similar in the same place that I think is Pipizella virens with an enterely different hairy thorax and much darker. But I still have to process all those pictures. I am going to try to post them next in order to compare and confirm ID.

Platycheirus close to clypeatus (Meigen, 1822)