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Dear Jere,
Yes, it is the same species, according to Spheight it also occurs in the Nearctic, where it indeed exists under the wrong name Chalcosyrphus pigra! ( Spheight 2006: This species is often mistakenly referred to in recent literature as C.pigra, a mis-spelling not mentioned by Peck (1988).)
I think indeed that the nearctic specimens are a bit different in coloration.
Greetings, Gerard