Posted by Calilasseia on 13-09-2013 08:20
#1
On 4th September 2013, I was attending a moth trapping session here in the UK (Ordnance Survey Grid Reference SJ54808352 - for this session I was able to narrow the location down to a 10 m square!), that began around 20:30 BST. This moth trapping session was remarkable for the number of non-Lepidoptera specimens attracted to the MV light, which included several Hemiptera, most notably
Elasmostethus interstictus and
Pentatoma rufipes, the former in some numbers. Among the other non-Lepidoptera specimens attracted to the trap, were two different species of ichneumon wasp (which I suspect I have
nohope of identifying!), and a Diptera specimen that is the focus of this post.
Thankfully, I was able to secure one excellent quality photograph (taken at 21:47 BST) of the specimen in question, which clearly shows halteres visible under the wings, so I
know I'm dealing with Diptera! The black and yellow striped abdomen made think initially that I was dealing with a possible member of the Syrphidae, but I've been fooled by this in the past (in the case of
Conops quadrifasciatus), and consequently, I'm prepared to be told that it
isn't a Syrphid, not least because other shots of the specimen feature legs that are a good deal longer than any Syrphid I'm familiar with.
So, to recap, the specimen data is as follows:
Location: UK, OS Grid Reference SJ54808352
Date & Time: 2013-09-04, 21:47 BST
Conditions: ambient temperature around 15°C, overcast, little or no breeze.
Specimen posed briefly for a range of photos, of which the photo attached to this post is probably the best.
Any assistance with ID appreciated in advance. :)