Syrphid fly - Eristalis tenax

You can move the unclear pict

You can move the unclear picture to Frass if it isn't useful for the website of course.

… Joey Bom, 20 November, 2019 - 2:55pm

In retrospect I think I'll ke

In retrospect I think I'll keep it here (at least my two cents' worth) - some useful discussion on Lejops curvipes vs Eristalis tenax, plus showing the variation of abdominal pattern in E. tenax is helpful.

… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 20 November, 2019 - 3:46pm

Thank you all for identifying

Thank you all for identifying this specimen!

… Joey Bom, 20 November, 2019 - 2:50pm

Moved

Moved from Syrphid Flies.

… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 20 November, 2019 - 7:21am

Moved

Moved from Frass.

Actually realizing I am not as firm on this ID as I'd thought on first looking. The abdominal pattern and shape are a little different and I'd like a second opinion to rule out Lejops curvipes. I think I see the r1 cell as in Eristalis but not 100% sure there.

… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 19 November, 2019 - 4:58pm

Yes; Eristalis tenax .... mal

Yes; Eristalis tenax .... male.
Pinned specimens of Lejops curvipes can fade to look more orange but in life, Lejops curvipes ... male has the abdomen noticeably reddish, more noticeably narrowing and the sides of tergite 3 reddish for their whole length. Note the black on tergite 2 actually widens slightly toward posterior portion but always narrows abruptly in Lejops curvipes male.
ALSO Lejops curvipes male has the eyes widely dichoptic.
In a zoomed image the eyes can be seen to be touching on frons (male).
Of course the female Lejops curvipes has a completely different abdomen pattern with no orange/red at all.
See comment below about Eoseristalis distribution.

… Bill Dean, 20 November, 2019 - 4:39am

Ok, thanks. I'm sorry the pic

Ok, thanks. I'm sorry the picture is a bit unclear, but that's because it was actually part of a way bigger picture I took of the flowers.

… Joey Bom, 20 November, 2019 - 4:08am

Frassed

Moved from ID Request.

Eristalis tenax, the drone fly (family Syrphidae), a common species both here in Europe and in the States (I seem to find a dead one on the windowsill every winter here in the UK). The image isn't needed for the guide, but will remain here for 30 days before being deleted.

… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 19 November, 2019 - 2:27pm

Thanks a lot. It looked very

Thanks a lot. It looked very familiar (from the Netherlands) and this was actually the first species that came to mind, but I have little to no knowledge about what flies around in the US and I didn't expect it would be the very same species. Thanks.

… Joey Bom, 19 November, 2019 - 4:22pm

No problem! The other species

No problem! The other species (subgenus Eoseristalis) are all different from Europe and the US but E. tenax is adventive in the US so we see it there as well.

… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 19 November, 2019 - 4:56pm

And Eristalis arbustorum (Eos

And Eristalis arbustorum (Eoseristalis). A European import to the Nearctic and doing very well and Eristalis cryptarum, Eristalis interrupta (known under the synonym Eristalis nemorum in Europe) and Eristalis rupium are all found on both continents.

… Bill Dean, 20 November, 2019 - 4:21am

Whoops! Thanks for catching m

Whoops! Thanks for catching me on those shared species.

I didn't realize nemorum was synonymous with interrupta! Weird.

… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 20 November, 2019 - 7:19am