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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Aschiza » Syrphid Flies (Syrphidae) » Eristalinae » Xylotini
Photo#125648
Syrphid Fly
Copyright © 2007 Kevin Hall

Syrphid Fly
Lacey (near Olympia), Thurston County, Washington, USA
July 8, 2007
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Contributed by Kevin Hall on 9 July, 2007 - 11:46am
Last updated 14 June, 2008 - 11:13pm

Moved
Moved from Flies.
… Keith Bayless, 7 August, 2007 - 12:29pm login or register to post comments

Syrphid
Belongs to the Xylotini, and the genus is Xylota or Chalcosyrphus!
Greetings
… Gerard Pennards, 9 July, 2007 - 4:01pm login or register to post comments

 
xylota vs. chalcosyrphus
Thanks for the assist, Gerard.

Little confusing though: I checked out both xylota and chalcosyrphus in the guide, and there is one of each both from a fellow in Massachusetts that look almost identical to my fly!
… Kevin Hall, 18 July, 2007 - 1:49am login or register to post comments

 
Problems
Hello Kevin,
Yes, that is exactly why it is very difficult, if not impossible, to give such a fly a name from a picture. The differences between these two genera are normally just visible under a microscope.
The general appearance is good enough to tell it's Xylotini, but normally it stops there!
Greetings,
… Gerard Pennards, 18 July, 2007 - 2:36am login or register to post comments

 
flies vs other insects
I'm new to this, so pardon if this is a really dumb question: Is it just the 4 pics I've sent in (one which *nobody* has taken a stab at), or are flies in general a tough group to key out compared to other insects?

Thanks again for your help and wisdom, Gerard.
… Kevin Hall, 18 July, 2007 - 10:04am login or register to post comments

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