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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Hover Flies (Syrphidae) » Syrphinae » Syrphini » Toxomerus » Toxomerus marginatus
Photo#113231
Unidentified Michigan Syrphids - Toxomerus marginatus
Copyright © 2007 jynxxxedangel

Unidentified Michigan Syrphids - Toxomerus marginatus
Wolverine Lake, Oakland County, Michigan, USA
May 27, 2007
Here is the only other photo I was able to catch, these little buggers move QUICK! ;)I don't think this insect resembles anything I have seen on the site...The stripes are somewhat muted, and the abdomen has a very distinct sunburst Les Paul guitar paintjob colour to it, the very tail end having almost a rose hue. The legs and head where the antennae come out are also very white coloured, unlike anything I have seen here. A very lovely bug, I think! :)
P.S. How to tell if the specimen is male or female? Would the female have a visible ovipositor, or would the male have claspers on his rear, or some other distinctive features? Please educate me, I am very new to getting serious about the insect world!
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Contributed by jynxxxedangel on 28 May, 2007 - 12:06am
Last updated 7 January, 2009 - 2:44pm

Moved
Moved from Syrphid Flies.
… Eric R. Eaton, 7 January, 2009 - 2:44pm login or register to post comments

Edit
I took the liberty of cropping your image so the system doesn't have to shrink it to fit on the page.

It's still hard to make out the patterns on the back of the abdomen and thorax, and the wing venation is just not visible, but with a bit of imagination one could persuade oneself that it might match Toxomerus marginatus:


An actual expert might be able to confirm or elaborate, but I'm not optimistic.

One thing I can confirm: most male syrphids have eyes that meet in the middle, while the females have some space between them (I understand there are exceptions, though). That would no doubt make those in your other image males.
… Chuck Entz, 28 May, 2007 - 2:15am login or register to post comments

 
RE:Re:Edit
The body is shaped a bit differently on my flies than the Marginatus shown; more spatulate, rather than round...and notice how much lighter the striped markings are, they are not black at all! Have I photographed a regional mutation, maybe? I will try to get some better pics in the light of day! I'm sure they will be back...I will keep my eyes peeled for the eggs, too. Where should I be looking on the plants for them?
… jynxxxedangel, 28 May, 2007 - 2:22am login or register to post comments

 
Comparison
It's really hard to compare these images with others in the guide, because these are from the side, and most of the others are from above. Also, a female with eggs in her abdomen is going to have a more rounded shape than males.

As for the eggs, I've never seen them, but I have seen the larvae: they eat aphids, so you'll find them among populations of those.
… Chuck Entz, 28 May, 2007 - 7:32am login or register to post comments

 
syrphids
This is THE closest photo to the fly in question that I have found: http://bugguide.net/node/view/65022/bgimage
This one has similar scant, muted, dark markings. I'm still waiting for them to come back today, I have been checking for them...
… jynxxxedangel, 28 May, 2007 - 12:18pm login or register to post comments

 
Revisiting that image.
It's a lightly marked T. marginatus.
… Ron Hemberger, 6 September, 2007 - 7:06pm login or register to post comments

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