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Photo#1375037
syrphid fly - Parhelophilus laetus

syrphid fly - Parhelophilus laetus
Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington, USA
May 27, 2017
According to expert Jeff Skevington (http://bugguide.net/node/view/663464/bgpage), "Leg colour pattern helps to identify this species."

Images of this individual: tag all
syrphid fly - Parhelophilus laetus syrphid fly - Parhelophilus laetus

This is a female. Male has th
This is a female. Male has the inner eye margins more parallel on upper frons and even narrowing. Also look at the genital segments in this image. Clearly female. Skevington says females similar to this can only be separated on the bristles on hind leg basitarsus which can`t be seen. On the other image it looks like the black on hind femora is restricted to dorsal surface and not a band.
I am not saying this can`t be laetus, just not certain. I have sent this to Professor Jeff Skevington....
See comment below ... 663464

Moved
Moved from Parhelophilus.

 
Can you tell us how you arrived at the species-level ID?
I asked Bill Dean, who told me, "There are no features, such as leg colour, that are diagnostic for species identification that I can see in this specimen.... I am only confident to genus."

Were you able to obtain an expert determination elsewhere?

Thanks.

 
Yes, as already commented on the other page :)
Compare with http://bugguide.net/node/view/663464/bgpage

Same leg color patterns, same abdomen pattern.

Also:
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Syrphid Flies (Syrphidae)
Key to the genera of nearctic Syrphidae, see photo p. 286.

 
663464 is a male whilst this
663464 is a male whilst this is a female. There is also Parhelophilus integer and Parhelophilus divisus to consider. The hind leg markings on 663464 are not clear enough to be certain of its identification and there is some question as to what is diagnostic. Bristles on the hind leg basitarsus can`t be seen. I have sent this to Professor Skevington.

 
Well, duh! :)
Guess I was focused on the "move" comments. I never noticed your edits to the Remarks section. Sorry about that!

Gotta say, though... I'm leery of photo matching when the experts aren't confident--especially when BG has examples of only four of the ten species in our area. Entirely your call though.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Parhelophilus
Parhelophilus

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