Eristalis tenax?

ericrovve · #1 (**permalink**) 16-11-2009, 02:29 PM

My book gives E. pertinax as very similar. Any comments

Pudding4brains · #2 (**permalink**) 18-11-2009, 04:30 PM

Hi Eric,

Can't really help - have steered clear of IDing these inspite of having a large collection of images for "future ID" - but as you are in France maybe this could help? The hairs on the eyes are known to be tricky - if you don't see them on photo it doesn't really mean anything (perspective, light angle, blur) but if you do see them it's clear at least

Cheers, Arp

ericrovve · #3 (**permalink**) 19-11-2009, 02:49 PM

Thanks for that puddin'. The chart was helpful enough to completely confuse me.
How about Eristalis sp. then?

paul m · #4 (**permalink**) 19-11-2009, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericrovve

My book gives E. pertinax as very similar. Any comments

I'm loath to jump in on this because I've had so many cases where very fine differences make the difference. However, this does look fairly clear-cut if, from the abdominal pattern, we take it to be either E. pertinax or E. tenax (so yes, I think it's Eristalis

). My book (Stubbs and Falk on British hoverflies) says that E. pertinax has orange front tarsus and pale basal half of hind tibia - clearly not present here. E. similis also has the latter feature which leaves us only E. tenax .... with my usual caveats

.

JRsbugs · #5 (**permalink**) 06-12-2009, 07:13 PM

This is Eristalis tenax female. Dark front tarsi, completely dark hind leg which has a slightly inflated appearance, broad dark facial stripe.

Janet

ericrovve · #6 (**permalink**) 07-12-2009, 07:35 AM

That seems clear enough when you point it out--thanks, Bugs