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Location: Faro, south of Portugal

Date Photo taken: October 5, 2007

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It is an Eristalis

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Eristalis arbustorum ???

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Or E abusivus? Need a clearer view of the aristae (long pale hairs in arbustorum, virtually bare in abusivus).

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And Now?

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Still can't see the aristae well enough.

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I think arbustorum! :D
Greetings

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An Expert in Syrphidae said that is: Eristalis horticola, female

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Well, I normally don't disagree with experts :D, but in this case I do!
I still think this is arbustorum or abusiva, because there is no dark marking in the wing (which horticola (nowadays called Eristalis lineata!) normally has, especially the female.
Furthermore the face doesn't seem to have a black stripe, which a female E. lineata has. If it would have had a black stripe, one could probably have seen part of it!
Third thing is that lineata would normally be more orange colored on the spots!
But still, we could all be wrong, if the specimen is different from the normal form, which sometimes occurs. If you would have a facial shot whether it has a black stripe or not, we would be certain!
greetings,

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Based on the spot-like pterostogma and the somewhat swollen hind metatarsi I would say E. nemorum (= [i]interrupta, sylvarum).

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It's Eristalis arbustorum, like Pennards suggested. The spots on the abdomen are too large for nemorum (= interrupta) and the stigma on the wing is 2-coloured... The face looks all haired too. It's a typical male arbustorum. Abusivus would have been nice (as a new species for P!), but it misses the characteristic metalic glance on the abdomen. It's defenitely not horticola (= lineata), for some obvious reasons ;)

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not a typical female? ;)