Fun with Hoverflies

Have you ever struggled with identification? Not sure whether it’s a bee or a hoverfly? Is it a wasp mimic? Which book should I look in? Where do I start?

Welcome to my world.

I’ve been threatening for years to get a book on Hoverflies, in fact, ever since the first time I heard about the WildGuides book Hoverflies of Britain and Ireland. I’ve told myself several times I should put it on my Christmas list and then not done it. I’ve just bought it.

Hoverflies of Britain and Ireland is written by the co-organisers of the Hoverfly Recording Scheme which enables enthusiasts on the Facebook group UK Hoverflies to add 100,000 records a year to their system. It has 344 pages, 1048 colour photos, 162 colour distribution maps, and 53 tables and covers 177 species. It’s a magnificent piece of work.

I’ve also been threatening to do some macro photography – to use the equipment I have properly and master the appropriate settings – for many years. I often complain about not having the time or opportunity, so what better to do when I finally do have the time and opportunity? Combine Hoverflies with macro photography.

Here are a few species in my garden in Einar:

This one is Eupeodes corollae, which is a common species and also a migrant, so it can be found almost anywhere. “A very common visitor to garden flowers”. The end of the abdomen is pointed, which means it’s a female. My next target is to get a photograph of a male to show his blunt ended abdomen with its “large genital capsule”.

This is Rhyngia campestris. Its larvae develop in cow dung and it frequents field edges. That sounds right. “Often common in Scotland in late July and August”.

This is Eristalis horticola. At least that’s my best guess. It’s possible I’ve got it wrong and it’s even possible that it’s one of the similar Eristalis species which occur in Europe. How would I find out? I’d have to dissect the male’s genitalia under the microscope to be sure.

This is Helophilus pendulus. A “Common and widespread species”.

And then here’s one which is doing a much better job of being a mimic. There is no half-hearted attempt to look like a wasp with this one. This is Eristalis intricaria (unless someone tells me otherwise – I’m new to this whole ‘identifying Hoverflies’ game). It’s a mimic of bumblebees with white tails, at least the female is. The males mimics bumblebees with red tails. Its common name is the Hairy Dronefly.

Eristalis pertinax is easy to identify (I hope) because its front and middle legs are orange/yellow:

A very common species now, Episyrphus balteatus, the Marmalade Hoverfly. This is distinctive because of the double black bands on the orange abdomen. It’s also much smaller than the other species. It’s a fascinating species because larvae which develop in hot conditions are more orange and larvae that develop in cooler conditions are mode black:

There we have it. That was my first attempt at species identification using WildGuides Hoverflies of Britain and Ireland. That was great fun. Better than watching television, which is good, since I don’t have a TV Licence here. I’ve also learned a little about macro photography which I can use to improve next time.

Christmas came early.