Frankly, because of the thorax marking, I think these flies should be included with Palpada, but nobody asked me! (They're the only Eristalis so marked, while the striping is characteristic of Palpada, as is the typically vivid color of the abdomen.)

That said, note that syrphids are typically smooth bodied, while bee flies are hairy. Also "bee fly" is two words, as it's a real fly, as opposed to a four-winger like a dragonfly.

First, I err in ID, then pontificate about it.

Eristalis transversa looks like a Palpada, but the differences between these genera are the hair patterns (absence presence) on the side of the thorax. So therefore E transvers is a "real" Eristalis, which "looks like" a Palpada.... so you were not that far off ;-)

Well, I did know it wasn't a bee fly.