Posted by robinsects on 16-08-2010 02:55
#1
I am seeing (early August) an extremely small (a few mm long) greenish hoverfly. Antennae elongate with orange ventral surface in the female - at Ladybower Reservoir - on the shore near the Iron Bridge, Derbyshire, England Map Ref SK18.
Female
http://www.flickr...895903930/
Male
http://www.flickr...895308163/
Description fits Lejogaster tarsata, but this is mostly a coastal species and the site is over a hundred miles from the sea. Although it apparently has been found in the Midlands around boggy flushes close to ancient woodland as in this case. Conditions locally are deposited acid peaty mud at the edge of the Reservoir, overgrown with plants during the Summer drought. It might be significant that the site is close to the Snake Pass where large amounts of salt are used in gritting over the winter, possibly resulting in locally saline conditions similar to the coast.
Do the photos look right for L. tarsata ? or is it just L. metallina? It seems far too small to be Riponnensia splendens - although there are what could be construed as grey stripes on the thorax as in this species.
Rob
Edited by robinsects on 16-08-2010 03:11
Posted by Gerard Pennards on 21-08-2010 23:00
#2
Nope it's an Orthonevra, looks like a male O. nobilis.
Greetings