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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Aschiza » Syrphid Flies (Syrphidae) » Syrphinae » Toxomerini » Toxomerus » Toxomerus occidentalis
Photo#145414
Toxomerus occidentalis - male
Copyright © 2007 Aaron Schusteff

Toxomerus occidentalis - Male
Aptos, Santa Cruz County, California, USA
September 1, 2007
Using BugGuide photos/commentaries (including Martin's photo key), as well as working through the key in Cole(1), I'm pretty confident this is Toxomerus occidentalis...but let me know if I'm wrong!

This syrphid was photographed on a twig-tip in the middle of a patch of Eriogonum nudum.

Question: Do the arcuate and thickish hind femora indicate this is a male here? (Character best seen in 2nd image of set.)
[Postscript: Answer to above question = Yes for T. occidentalis and T. geminatus, but not necessarily other species of Toxomerus...see here and Cole(1), pg 321.]

Images of this individual: tag all
Toxomerus occidentalis - male Toxomerus occidentalis - male
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Contributed by Aaron Schusteff on 13 September, 2007 - 8:26pm
Last updated 28 December, 2007 - 3:55pm

T. occidentalis it is
Congrats on your find and successful ID.
… Ron Hemberger, 14 September, 2007 - 12:58pm login or register to post comments

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