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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Hover Flies (Syrphidae) » Eristalinae » Milesiini » Xylotina » Brachypalpus » subgenus Brachypalpus (Brachypalpus subgenus Brachypalpus) » Brachypalpus oarus
Photo#768022
Eumerus ? - Brachypalpus oarus - female
Copyright © 2013 John Lampkin

Eumerus ? - Brachypalpus oarus - Female
Lily Pond, Harriman State Park, Rockland County, New York, USA
May 7, 2013
On May 1, Ken Wolgemuth and Ron Hemberger identified a Eumerus from an image I captured at a different location. http://bugguide.net/node/view/765857
This appears to be the same species.
Question: The antennae are noticeably different on my two individuals, and in the individuals posted on the BG pages. Some have that nifty "handlebar-type-thingie" (technical term) and others don't. I had assumed that those are the aristae, but possibly they aren't. Any comments?
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Contributed by John Lampkin on 8 May, 2013 - 7:44am
Last updated 21 April, 2017 - 9:49pm

Moved
Moved from Syrphid Flies.
… Martin Hauser, 14 May, 2013 - 4:43pm login or register to post comments

John, this is a different syrphid.
This one has a very hairy thorax, while Eumerus is smooth:
… Ron Hemberger, 9 May, 2013 - 2:08am login or register to post comments

 
OK, Ron, but ...
I was looking at the swollen femurs, and considered its behavior, which was mucking about near the ground instead of visiting the nearby dandelions and Cyprus Spurge. When trying to sort out the variability of the antennae, I found this.
Even though the caption reads "Shiny Syrphid," the fuzzy thorax is commented on, and like mine, the antennae are large, lacking the "handlebars."
So it may be a different syrphid, but it seems to share some features of this Eumerus.
Thanks as always for your input.
BTW, what is the code for inserting an image as you have done?
… John Lampkin, 9 May, 2013 - 9:54am login or register to post comments

 
I'm thinking Chalosyrphus, but don't have time to check now.
I don't know that genus from personal experience. (BTW, the enlarged femurs on yours gave me pause, too.)

You might want to browse:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/739039/bgpage

I'm glad you're interested in behavior as an aid to ID. In that context, look at the "at rest" posture on this specimen and on your "hunkered down" Eumerus. (A lot of this stuff is hard to describe.)

Code to insert image is:
[thumb:xxx]

where xxx is the number at the top left of the photo. (Note that there is no space after the colon.)
… Ron Hemberger, 9 May, 2013 - 4:02pm login or register to post comments

 
Best guess: Brachypalpus sp.
Wish I could do better, John. Subtribe Xylotina seems solid.
… Ron Hemberger, 9 May, 2013 - 11:07pm login or register to post comments

 
Ergo Brachypalpus oarus ...
Since that's the only Brachypalpus in the Northeast.
Here are three from the Guide:

You can tell that you've created a monster by providing me with the pic code. ;-) Your "best guess" is looking good, Ron. Thanks for your time and help.
In retrospect, my first guess of Eumerus was a poor one since this location is far from any commercial bulb plantings, unlike my legit Eumerus which was shot at the NJ botanical gardens.
… John Lampkin, 10 May, 2013 - 7:06am login or register to post comments

 
Glad to help, John.
.
… Ron Hemberger, 10 May, 2013 - 11:43am login or register to post comments

 
OK, Ron, but ...
I was looking at the swollen femurs, and considered its behavior, which was mucking about near the ground instead of visiting the nearby dandelions and Cyprus Spurge. When trying to sort out the variability of the antennae, I found this.
Even though the caption reads "Shiny Syrphid," the fuzzy thorax is commented on, and like mine, the antennae are large, lacking the "handlebars."
So it may be a different syrphid, but it seems to share some features of this Eumerus.
Thanks as always for your input.
BTW, what is the code for inserting an image as you have done?
… John Lampkin, 9 May, 2013 - 6:55am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… v belov, 8 May, 2013 - 7:53am login or register to post comments

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