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It's a great time for Syrphidae here, with just a few late flowers attracting the whole buzzing bunch. Could this one be Eupeodes corollae?



Thanks in advance, Sarah

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Dear Sarah,

for me, your picture schows a kind of Chrysotoxum. I am not shure about the species, a spezialist will know that.

Gisela

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Thanks Gisela, I'll do some research around that genus and see what I can come up with, Sarah

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Yes Sarah, Gisela is right. It is a Chrysotoxum. It's one of two very similar species, I will not tell you which. That's up to you to find out :)

P.S.: look at the long antennae: Eupeodes never have that. It is a character for only a few syrphid genera, like Chrysotoxum. Also tipical for some Chrysotoxum-species is the darkened front-area of the wings, clearly shown in your picture. Two important things to immediately guess it's Chrysotoxum.

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Mmmmm so I've got to work for it! I've taken a browse through all the reference material available and the nearest I can find is Chrysotoxum fasciatum, but it doesn't completely convince me. Am I getting near? In any case, thanks so much for taking the trouble to describe the identifying characteristics. It is such a help and slowly I really AM learning! Sarah

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You are away from the truth :)
Try again!

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I think you're going to have to give me a hand Andre, my reference material is just not up to getting any nearer, :( Sarah

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Choose between Chrys. vernalis and Chrys. festivum :)

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Thanks for having mercy on me Andre ;). I'll try and find out some more about the two species and see if I can get any clues to which it might be. Sarah

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Hai Guys,
I don't want to be a spoilsport, but I think this is neither Chrysotoxum vernale or C. festivum. The abdomen is to broad and it has a broad border as well. Also the first spots on tergite 2 are to broad. It looks more like a Chrysotoxum intermedium to me!
Greetings

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You've got a point there Gerard! Quite right... :)
My apologies to the dear lady in Rome!

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So is the consensus Chrysotoxum intermedium and if so, what would be the distinctive features? ;) Sarah

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For now, we say intermedium.
Do you have a picture that shows the basis of the legs better?

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No, unfortunately I have only this one. They are not common here and this was the first (and last) one I've been able to photograph, and only fleetingly. Now winter is setting in fast so I think it's unlikely I'll be able to find it again. Might have to wait for next year :o, Sarah

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Intermedium is quite common on the Iberian peninsula.

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Andre, she is in Rome, Italy.
That is not the Iberian peninsula I think! ;)
Anyway, I think intermedium is also quite common in italy I think!
Greetings,

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Oh, okay... have to wake up I believe... all this confusion :o

What do you think Gerard: are vernalis and festivum relatively uncommon in Italy (Iberian.... hahaha)?
But serious....

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Well, C. festivum doesn't seem to occur in Italy according to bastiaan's website, so that would leave C. vernale. I think that species will be quite common. But there are some species in Italy that are rare in other parts of europe, and I don't know them all!
Greetings,

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There is an "official" Checklist of all Italian fauna available on the Internet which I use as my bible. It isn't, of course, foolproof, but it's pretty reliable. According to this checklist, we do actually have C. festivum in my part of Italy, and also C. vernale and C. intermedium, so I guess that leaves the field wide open!
Here's the full list of Chrysotoxum species:
Chrysotoxum arcuatum (Linn?, 1758)
Chrysotoxum bicinctum (Linn?, 1758)
Chrysotoxum cautum (Harris, 1776)
Chrysotoxum cisalpinum Rondani, 1845
Chrysotoxum elegans Loew, 1841
Chrysotoxum fasciolatum (De Geer, 1776)
Chrysotoxum festivum (Linn?, 1758)
Chrysotoxum impressum Becker, 1921
Chrysotoxum intermedium Meigen, 1822
Chrysotoxum octomaculatum Curtis, 1832
Chrysotoxum vernale Loew, 1841
Thanks to you all, Sarah

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Oh yes, that should be told to bastiaan, because on his website C. festivum doesn't occur in Italy! He should update soon! :D:D
But anyway Sarah, this isn't a question which species is depicted by your picture! It is quite sure to me this isn't C. festivum or C. vernale.
I'm quite sure this is another species, and the most likely candidate is Chrysotoxum intermedium!
I said there are some species in Italy I don't know, like cisalpinum and impressum, so maybe it is one of them. But from what I know, this should be Chrysotoxum intermedium!
Greetings

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Fauna Europaea (www.faunaeur.org) gives some more species for the Italian mainland, than listed above. These are:
lessonae
lineare
parmense
sackeni (taxon of uncertain status)
verralli

Greetz, Andr

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Thanks Gerard for the confirmation and Andre for the url. I wasn't aware of this site which looks pretty important :o. I'll take a browse through it this evening (how I HATE these long dark winter evenings :@), Sarah