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Photo#9154
blue-winged flower fly - Chalcosyrphus chalybeus

blue-winged flower fly - Chalcosyrphus chalybeus
near Ailsa Craig, Ontario, Canada
June 17, 2004
IDed as Chalcosyrphus chalybeus by Dr. Jeff Skevington. I found no images and very few references to this species on the web (it's on this U. of Michigan list and in an Excel file listing Syrphidae of Ontario). The blue in the wings may be "light playing tricks" but it was obvious to the naked eye, so I can't blame it on the camera.

Chalcosyrphus
I caught one of these this spring and keyed it to this species in the Weems key (the genus was not the same). However Nearctica no longer lists chalybeus as a species under Chalcosyrphus. So I am not sure of the current species designation. This is certainly one of the most impressive Pompilid wasp mimics out there. It is fast and it flicks its wings like the wasps and obviously imitates the blue-black reflective color. I thought it was a Pompilid (which we are collecting) until it fell to the bottom of the jar.

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