Syrphus

Moved

… Ken Wolgemuth, 26 September, 2018 - 7:50am

Syrphus ...... male.

Syrphus ...... male.
Yellow markings NARROWING and OVERLAPPING side margins of abdomen; antennae dark but have some orange (not totally coal black); thorax bronzy with two grey central stripes; tergite 5 NOT mostly yellow or at least NOT broadly yellow at entire side margins; black on frons.

… Bill Dean, 26 September, 2018 - 4:07am

Thanks!

Thank you for taking a look and giving me the reasoning!

I'm a wannabe entomologist, so I'm just taking a stab at this, but... Is there any chance that this is S. vitripennis or S. rectus? It seems like even if it is, there isn't a good way to distinguish between the two (for males)?

The link below shows how I've ruled out some other species, and then it lists the characteristics of S. vitripennis from Vockeroth 1992, along with parts of my images showing them. It uses a few other images I didn't post here originally because I didn't realize they'd be useful, but I've added them now.

https://www.evernote.com/l/AARjjVRHxIlBwZQgVT2ze8xo4I8mZMV5eJw

… dendritic, 28 September, 2018 - 7:18am

This probably is Syrphus vitripennis

This probably is Syrphus vitripenis but the definition of microtrichiae in the bm cell is insufficient, the amount of black on the hind femora is not always reliable however and the pale hairs you point out on the mid-femora are on the postero-ventral surface and not the posterior surface and this is not a reliable feature. Hairs on the yellow part of hind femora are not discernible. Syrphus rectus has the yellow markings more broadly overlapping side margin of abdomen. Probably vitripennis but safe in Syrphus.

… Bill Dean, 28 September, 2018 - 8:54am

Got it, thanks!

… dendritic, 28 September, 2018 - 8:59am

...

The above features rule out Epistrophe, Eupeodes latifasciatus and other Eupeodes when combined in identification.

… Bill Dean, 26 September, 2018 - 3:57am

Moved for expert attention

Moved from ID Request.

… Ken Wolgemuth, 25 September, 2018 - 8:57pm