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Post by wollastoni on Feb 3, 2017 13:38:25 GMT
I love this topic. I have never met those Xylota sp., I must look for them next summer !
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Post by nomad on Feb 3, 2017 18:31:40 GMT
Great, I am glad that someone likes this thread. You will be sure to find them. Here are two more images of Xylota segnis that I took in my town garden in September 2016.
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Post by nomad on Feb 4, 2017 12:56:32 GMT
Wetlands can be good places to seek out hoverflies, here are some of my images from that habitat. All the images were taken during the late summer 2016. Details below the images. A mating pair of Helophilus hybridus, a species which is frequent in wetlands. The unmistakable little Platycheirus rosarum, which likes Marshy areas ; it took great patience to photograph this hoverfly, even when resting, it very sensitive to any movement. It was then completely disappear, only appearing to its favourite spot some time later. Although my guide tells me it is locally frequent, I have only found a small colony in a single wet ditch. Another species which is common in wetlands is Platycheirus granditarsus, the orange marked abdomen is often only visible when this small species is in flight. My images were taken on a rainy overcast morning. Rhingia campestris is a very strange looking Hoverfly that is frequent in lowland Meadows and many other habitats.
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Post by Paul K on Feb 4, 2017 13:04:33 GMT
Peter ! Your photos are amazing ! Should they be censor by moderators ? Paul
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Post by nomad on Feb 4, 2017 13:15:49 GMT
Many thanks Paul, I am pleased that you like them. Another image of Rhingia campestris feeding on top of a wooded chalkland hillfort. Now you can see how that long appendage known as a rostrum that encloses the proboscis comes into play.
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Post by nomad on Feb 4, 2017 13:39:01 GMT
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Post by butting27 on Feb 4, 2017 14:54:00 GMT
Peter ! Your photos are amazing ! Should they be censor by moderators ? Paul Paul - Well played chap! Hilarious. Peter - really enjoyed and keep enjoying your images - thanks for sharing.
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Post by wollastoni on Feb 4, 2017 15:34:12 GMT
I've also met the very cute Chrysotoxum bicinctum few years ago
Fréhel, Bretagne, France 20 VII 2012
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Post by nomad on Mar 4, 2017 12:55:22 GMT
Many Sphaerophoria are notoriously difficult to identify in the field, usually genital examination in the males is necessary, the females are almost impossible to identify to species. The larvae feed on a variety of aphids that are found at ground level. All who take the trouble to look at Hoverflies, will notice the small Sphaerophoria in a variety of habitats including their gardens. One species that is reasonably safe to ID is S. Scripta because the abdomen is longer than the wings. All images 2016. Probably an S. Scripta male feeding at Cirsium arvense in a Water Meadow. June. Probably a S. Scripta female. habitat as above. June. Female Sphaerophoria species visiting Jacobaea vulgaris, open woodland August. Male Sphaerophoria species species visiting Heracleum sphondylium Riverside. August. Probably S. Scripta visiting Anemone hupehensis in my garden. September. Notice the long legs mostly firmly closed during flight and hanging down when landing on a flower.
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Post by nomad on Apr 24, 2017 11:20:14 GMT
Most Hoverflies visit flowers but some do not and are therefore not easy to find. A walk in large forest yesterday, produced two such species. Stuart Ball and Roger Morris wrote " finding Brachyopa is an art, but once mastered it will be found that species within the genus are no means scarce as past text books have suggested". Walking slowly along a mixed woodland ride I saw several of what I took to be another family of Diptera basking low down on Ash trees, unfortunately I did not recognize them as Brachyopa, until I posted an image on the Diptera forum and thus only took a single image and could perhaps produced others at different angles. The body is a lovely orange, which is hard to see through the closed wings in my image. Now I know I came across a rather an infrequent species, one to keep a sharp lookout for in the same area, although the flight period is very short. The only widespread species that is associated with Ash among other trees in the UK is Brachyopa scutellaris, the larvae living in Sap runs. Brachyopa scutellaris, Wilts, April 2017. On a sunny day common Bacchini species, small hoverflies are found in most habitats especially along hedgerows and woodland rides. Most visit flowers but among the myriads might be the strange looking and very dainty Baccha elongata which does not and therefore easily overlooked. This species is well named and likes the dappled shade of woodland. The females thin elongated body is widened at the end. Female Baccha elongata, Wilts, April 2017. Male Baccha elongata, Wilts, April 2017. Habitat of Baccha elongata and other woodland Hoverflies.
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Post by nomad on May 20, 2017 7:33:17 GMT
I have become increasingly interested in hoverflies-Diptera and my forays into the field are now mainly concerned with photographing these fascinating and very important pollinators. In some instances specimens have to be netted and examined for identification purposes. Otherwise, I just enjoy watching their behaviour and photographing them which is quite a challenge, as they have a much better eyesight than butterflies and in warm weather are very wary insects. A day with sun and cloud is best. The UK is lucky in that it has quite a few experts regarding these insects who have produced two excellent books that would be quite useful for many species occurring in Europe. The publications are
British Hoverflies An illustrated Identification Guide. Alan E. Stubbs & Steven Falk. 1983. Second much revised edition 2002, reprinted 2012. The standard reference guide. Includes accounts of the 276 UK species including a Key. Colour illustrations of 190 species by Steven Falk. Hardback 469 pages. Since the second edition of this book appeared a further 7 species have been found in the UK!
British Hoverflies A field Guide. Stuart Ball & Roger Morris. 2013. New revised edition 2015. A photographic guide of 167 species, list of all species and a full account of their biology. 650 colour images with 312 pages.
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Post by nomad on May 23, 2017 16:06:39 GMT
In the UK Caliprobola speciosa is a very rare and truly spectacular large hoverfly that is confined in the UK to ancient wood pasture in the Windsor area and to a few sites in the New Forest. The population is very small and it is on the wing in May and early June. With its orange legs and metallic green body with yellow bands this magnificent species cannot be confused with any other species. The male form territories around old Beech and oak stumps in which the larvae feed and the adults look very much wasp like in flight. I watched a visiting bee mimic hoverfly Criorhina floccosa at a dead beech stump being repeatedly dive bombed and then grabbed by the pictured male Caliprobola speciosa which forced it to retreat. It was one of two Caliprobola speciosa in a several day search that I found and two local insect experts and their friend drew a blank in the same area, where in other years they have found several. In the UK and in several other European countries this hoverfly is classified as endangered and is a protected species at its localities here.
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Post by wollastoni on May 24, 2017 13:28:13 GMT
What a splendid species, Peter ! Thanks for sharing and congrats for finding them !
What is the use of the tiny yellow organs that I see on all your pictures in the side of the abdomen of all these Syrphidae ?
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Post by nomad on May 24, 2017 14:40:57 GMT
All Diptera have those organs which are known as halteres but they are very noticeable in Hoverflies. They are balancing organs that takes the place of the hindwings, vibrating during flight. Much more here. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halteres
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Post by wollastoni on May 24, 2017 14:50:52 GMT
Thanks Fascinating properties of these halteres described in this Wikipedia article. One day our civil planes may have such technological skills ! Nature is so impressive !
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