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Hoverflies (Syrphidae), tribe Syrphini (contd)

Moderate size hoverflies, typically with wasp-like markings. Larvae predatory, often on aphids.

Leucozona lucorum (Linaeus, 1758)

Leucozona lucorum
  • Cambridge: 24 May 2003, Female.
  • A characteristic spring hoverfly.
  • See Volucella pellucens for a larger hoverfly with a similar white band
  • NBN Atlas.

Melangyna compositarum agg.

Melangyna compositarum
  • Perse School nature reserve, Cambridge TL446570: 16 Sep 2014
  • Melangyna compositarum (Verrall, 1873) and M. labiatarum (Verrall, 1901) have no established external distinctions, and may indeed represent a single species.
  • Very little black around the scutellum and slightly hairy eyes.
  • NBN Atlas M. compositarum; M. labiatarum

Meliscaeva auricollis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Scaeva pyrastri
  • Cambridge: 12 Jun 2015, Male.
  • Yellow spots on tergites 3 & 4 have oblique hind margins, leaving black forward-pointing triangles between the yellow.
  • There is a darker spring brood.
  • NBN Atlas.

Scaeva pyrastri (Linnaeus, 1758)

Scaeva pyrastri
  • Cambridge: 25 Jul 2001, Male.
  • Markings are white, and broad towards the outer end, unlike in Eupeodes luniger and S. selenitica where they are yellow and comma shaped.
  • Also note that the inner ends of the bars on T3 & T4 are further forward than the outer, unlike in the scarcer S. selenitica.
  • Large for the Syrphini tribe at 13mm long.
  • NBN Atlas.

Sphaerophoria scripta (Linnaeus, 1758)

Sphaerophoria scripta Sphaerophoria scripta
  • Cambridge: male (left) 2 Jul 2001, female (right) 17 Sep 2000
  • Yellow sides to the thorax distinguish this genus.
  • Male of this species has notably long abdomen, longer than the wings.
  • Female hard to distinguish from others of the genus, this specimen is only tentatively identified.
  • Male 10mm long, female 8mm.
  • NBN Atlas.

Syrphus ribesii (Linnaeus, 1758)

Syrphus ribesii Syrphus ribesii

Cambridge: 3 Jul 2002, Female. Hind femora all yellow (arrowed).

Syrphus vitripennis (Meigen, 1822)

Syrphus vitripennis Syrphus vitripennis

Cambridge: 5 Aug 2001, Female. Hind femora mainly dark (arrowed)

Two common species which are difficult to distinguish without seeing the legs (the males are even harder).

NBN Atlas: Syrphus ribesii / Syrphus vitripennis.

Xanthogramma pedissequum (Harris, 1776)

Xanthogramma pedissequum
  • Cambridge: 23 May 2003. Male.
  • The narrow brilliant lemon stripes on the pure black abdomen make this a very strining and distinctive genus. They also overtax a digital camera!
  • This species is distinguished from X. citrofasciatum by broader triangular markings on T2, and dark apices of hind femora
  • Dark patches on leading edge of wings are also more prominent in this species
  • NBN Atlas.
  • Special enlargement

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