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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Aschiza" » Hover Flies (Syrphidae) » Syrphinae » Syrphini » Megasyrphus » Megasyrphus laxus
Photo#870590
Megasyrphus/Eriozona? Olympic NP - Megasyrphus laxus - female
Copyright © 2013 Robert Jacobs (verbal permission)

Megasyrphus/Eriozona? Olympic NP - Megasyrphus laxus - Female
Hoh Rainforest, Olympic NP, Jefferson County, Washington, USA
August 22, 2013
Found this lovely syrphid in the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park on a gravel bar.

Using the genus key (Key to the Genera of Nearctic Syrphidae), I keyed this out to Megasyrphus, but I'm not 100% sure about that (and can't go to species, since the key paper is in German and I can't find a copy of it anyways). The yellow on the abdominal segments does seem to go all the way to the margins, so not Didea. The bands are continuous, and the wing veination seems different from Scaeva and Lapposyrphus. Thoughts?

(apparently Megasyrphus is sometimes grouped in with Eriozona)
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Contributed by Kelsey J.R.P. Byers on 30 November, 2013 - 3:22am
Last updated 8 January, 2015 - 3:09pm

Moved
Moved from Megasyrphus.
… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 19 December, 2014 - 1:31pm login or register to post comments

 
I think this is Megasyrphus l
I think this is Megasyrphus laxus too. I am familiar with Megasyrphus erraticus ( originally M. annulipes ) in the U.K. which looks like this and some think it is the same species. BugGuide has come pics with blue spots; the spots are a different shape and hind femora,tibiae and tarsi are different from the specimen identified by Chris Thompson. How very strange, I am in conversation with Martin Hauser about this at the moment.
… Bill Dean, 19 December, 2014 - 3:09pm login or register to post comments

 
Fascinating; I did these move
Fascinating; I did these moves after realizing that the only other Nearctic Megasyrphus is restricted to the SW USA. I've no idea why some have bluish color and some yellow, but it's an impressive color of blue...
… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 19 December, 2014 - 4:19pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Syrphid Flies.
… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 13 December, 2013 - 1:49pm login or register to post comments

photo link
Lets see if I remember how to do this, I saw this in your photos and recalled I have several at least similar.
… Scott Peden, 5 December, 2013 - 11:04pm login or register to post comments

 
The R4+5 vein is not dipped i
The R4+5 vein is not dipped in this Syrphini.
Megasyrphus has this vein dipped.
… Bill Dean, 19 December, 2014 - 2:59pm login or register to post comments

 
Looking at the two... the syr
Looking at the two... the syrphid in your photo seems to have a relatively flat R4+5 vein, where mine curves down and then up - but definitely both Syrphini!
… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 5 December, 2013 - 11:12pm login or register to post comments

Have you seen Martin's comment on this post?
… Ron Hemberger, 30 November, 2013 - 6:48pm login or register to post comments

 
I did - that's actually where
I did - that's actually where I got the info on Eriozona from, since the Alberta key just lists it as Megasyrphus. But thanks for the reminder!
… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 30 November, 2013 - 6:53pm login or register to post comments

Moved for expert attention.
Moved from ID Request.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 30 November, 2013 - 8:07am login or register to post comments

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