Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Hover Flies (Syrphidae) » Syrphinae » Syrphini » Toxomerus » Toxomerus occidentalis
Photo#134713
Toxomerus occidentalis, I hope - Toxomerus occidentalis - male
Copyright © 2007 Ron Hemberger

Toxomerus occidentalis, I hope - Toxomerus occidentalis - Male
Mason Park, Irvine, Orange County, California, USA
August 4, 2007
I've always enjoyed shooting syrphids, particularly Toxomerus margin*atus since it was one of my early finds. For many months, I'd hoped to see T. gemin*atus as well - and even imagined I had. Problem is, they just aren't in California.

Recently, I learned T. occidentalis is the West Coast equivalent, and I think that's what I have here. So is it?

(Written September 6, 2007) It is T. occidentalis, based on Bug Guide images and Martin's excellent visual key.

Images of this individual: tag all
Toxomerus occidentalis, I hope - Toxomerus occidentalis - male Toxomerus occidentalis, I hope - Toxomerus occidentalis - male Toxomerus occidentalis, I hope - Toxomerus occidentalis - male Toxomerus occidentalis, I hope - Toxomerus occidentalis - male
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Ron Hemberger on 7 August, 2007 - 12:35am
Last updated 18 October, 2007 - 4:29pm

Wow!
Impressive in flight focus! (You're inspiring me to persevere in attempting that kind of shot, so far mine are always a blur-fest :-)

By the way, your photos are also convincing me that a previously unknown syrphid among my photos is also Toxomerus occidentalis. Muchas gracias!
… Aaron Schusteff, 13 September, 2007 - 7:41pm login or register to post comments

 
In flight shots: stay with it.
Recent posts from HandsOff! show he has quite a knack for this stuff. I think he's using a lens that zooms to 300mm. That's what I used to use, until I went to a single lens for field work (180mm macro with 1.4x teleconverter.)

Practice on dragonflies if you can, with the camera parallel to the critter's body. Shutter speed doesn't have to be all that high; this one was probably at 1/200th. BTW, I use manual focus and a monopod.

Glad I could help with the syrphid. I kept looking for Toxomerus geminatus until I found out we didn't have any, then was pleased to discover our T. occidentalis equivalent. Good hunting!
… Ron Hemberger, 14 September, 2007 - 12:46pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Toxomerus.
… Ron Hemberger, 5 September, 2007 - 10:51pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact