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Hi!

I haven't looked at syrphids for some years, but when I found a Sphegina indoors in my home in Oslo, and I couldn't resist trying to identify it. With Mark van Veen's key, I arrive at Sphegina verecunda (female).

Does anyone know whether this species has been reported from Norway before? According to the Norwegian species register (Artsnavnebasen) it isn't, but that can be outdated.

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Sphegina is a very tricky genus! Ball & Morris (British hoverflies. 2013) write:
"There are three very similar species: S. clunipes, S. elegans, and S. verecunda. S. elegans has rather yellow than dark humeri. ... Separating females of S. clunipes and S. verecunda is difficult and requires careful examination of the wing venation."
S. elegans and S. clunipes are known to occur in Norway, S. verecunda isn't. I searched The World of Syrphidae (http://www.syrphi.../photo.php) that gives distribution maps for the species, and GBIF (http://www.gbif.o...SSUE=false) that cites only two observations from Sweden. The Hoverfly Recording Scheme (http://www.hoverf...a4c554c9c6) says about the biology of S. verecunda:
"The larvae have been found in the exudates from a sap run on Ulmus. It is found in wet shady situations in woodland and carr. Adults are found in shade, or dappled sunshine, usually close to wet areas or streams, and are occasionally found visiting flowers." That doesn't sound like Oslo...
If you caught the fly, you should consult a Syrphidae/Sphegina expert. Some literature is cited here: http://www.syrphi...d=Sphegina
Regards, Sundew

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Thank you Sundew, I'll have a look at the litterature. I'll also check with the specimens in the museum in Oslo; they won't have verecunda but probably the other two species. And then identify an expert...

Does anyone here happen to have a pdf copy of
Doczkal, D. (1995): Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Weibchen der deutschen Sphegina-Arten (Diptera, Syrphidae) - Volucella ,Stuttgart 1(1), 3-19
?

Louis

BTW: Oslo, though the county's capital, has very green and nature-like areas. I think some 10 or more species of stoneflies can be found in the municipality. Although I live 700m away from running water, I've found two stonefly species in my garden.

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It's in Sweden (where it has been described with other 6 species; there're 16 european species), so, considering that there're not so great natural barriers (like mountains, oceans etc.) between Norway and Sweden I'm pretty sure it is already in Norway.

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Separating verecunda from clunipes can also be possible with face's colour and tergite's length (theoretically no need to check wing's venation; in Sweden, so I guess in Norway too, there's not S. nigra).

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If that's Norway lowland (not mountains) you have rather only 3 options: S. elegans, S.clunipes and S.clavata. I think you may have the latter which (females) is similar and in most cases mistaken with S. verecunda. Males of Sphegina can be identified by examining genitalia without any doubts. Revision of the material in Poland showed we have S. clavata lowlands (incl. Baltic Coast) and S. verecunda in higher mountains only (southern Poland). Robert.

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Thanks so far;

i went to Van Veen's key as follows:
- sternum I not reduced, wider than long (excludes sibirica)
- katepisternum dull
- tibia 2 not expanded
- female
- tergite II longer than width of hind margin (excludes Sp. sphegina)
- tergite V without membranous strips, mouth edge moderately protruding, gena small
- postpronotum and humerus black (excludes elegans)
- face black, tergite II less than 2.5 times as long as width of hind margin, fronts with bare stripe (excludes clunipes)
- subcosta joining costa at r-m crossvein

If it is not Sph. verecunda, it should be clunipes. My specimen does have a bit yellow at the lower mouth edge. Tergite I is about 2.1 times as long as the width of the hind margin, though. Frons seems to have (more) bare middle stripe if viewed at lateral angle, but seems all dusted in frontal view.

So the question is: what does tergite II and face look like in clunipes?

I attach some pictures. Maybe you can comment?

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face and humerus

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The square sternite I looks clearly different from drawing of the sternite of clunipes in Van Veen's key,

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wing excludes clavata (which is also not known from Sweden/Norway)

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Have you checked http://www.reposi...ment/45875? From the illustration in John's key I am inclined to think it might be elegans because of the long and narrow sternite II.

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Thanks for pictures. It is Baccha elongata.

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:S

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:D ...finally the photo shows M2

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...BTW we can also say it is a female

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Ooh so stupid of me! My only excuse is that I haven't looked at syrphids for years. And so I assumed it was Sphegina without checking! Sorry for the confusion and thanks Robert for pointing this out!