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Photo#355240
Aphid eater on milkweed. It is another boy! - Eupeodes - male

Aphid eater on milkweed. It is another boy! - Eupeodes - Male
Schuylkill Nature Center, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA
November 29, 2009
Size: 10 mm
I was beginning to think that the pupa was dead but it emerged today, 11/29/09. I am not including the date in the data field because it has been indoors for the last week. I was afraid that it would overwinter as a pupa and that I would never get the adult if I waited for months.
It looks rather similar to the Syrphus I raised last year, but not quite. The larva and pupa also looked somewhat different. I am hoping that it is a different species and even genus. After all it was feeding on aphids that feed on milkweed; the one I raised last year fed on aphids that ate trumpet honeysuckle (it also accepted aphids from my rose bush).
I am always amazed how big they look when they unfold and come out of their tight package, the pupal skin.

Update. Dr. Chris Thompson says: "The species is Eupeodes (Metasyrphus) americanus (Wiedemann)".

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Aphid eater on milkweed. Early instar larva - Eupeodes Aphid eater on milkweed. Early instar larva - Eupeodes Aphid eater on milkweed - Eupeodes Aphid eater on milkweed.  larva - Eupeodes Aphid eater on milkweed - Eupeodes Aphid eater on milkweed - Eupeodes Aphid eater on milkweed - Eupeodes Aphid eater on milkweed - Eupeodes Aphid eater on milkweed - Eupeodes Aphid eater on milkweed. Puparium - Eupeodes Aphid eater on milkweed. It is another boy! - Eupeodes - male Aphid eater on milkweed. It is another boy! - Eupeodes - male Aphid eater on milkweed. It is another boy! - Eupeodes - male

Moved
Moved from American Hover Fly.

Moved

Sphaerophoria?
Looks like this one unfortunately no species identified yet.

 
I think not.
On Ted's, the area immediately aft of the thorax is pretty much the same color as on other Sphaerophoria posts here; that on Beatriz' fly is browner. Sphaerophoria's body shape is also more elongated, but that's less obvious in Ted's shot than many others.

Oh, Ted, I recently found out that species IDs on Sphaerophoria hinge on having a specimen in hand. Let's hope that changes someday!

 
Moreover
This is a male and male Spherophoria have very thin abdomens.

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