Posted by Juergen Peters on 25-10-2011 23:24
#1
Hello!
Yesterday afternoon at 12 °C and a strong wind there were only 4 Syrphidae species around here (northwest Germany) on meadows and forest borders. It was not surprising to find
Eristalis tenax sunbathing on leafs and a single
Episyrphus balteatus female (no photo) and some
Sphaerophoria scripta males visiting composite flowers. But I had never seen a
Myathropa florea so late in autumn. Does this species also tend to overwinter as adult in central Europe like its cousin
E. tenax (10 years ago I only very sporadicly found that species in winter hideouts, now it is a regular flyer on warm winter days from November to February)?