Thanks Howard.  Admittedly I'm uncertain about the anteroventral on the middle tibia because of the way the legs are folded.  But the killer seemed to me to be that at couplet 4 neither option works: the sctellum is not black and the vein M1 goes far beyond the base of the M-fork.  So L. furcata seemd most likely (or the least unlikely) becaus the genitalia are not like fig 10.

Could you perhaps be misinterpreting couplet 4? I can't see the wing venation on your picture, but couplet 4 refers to the length of vein A1, not M1. Compare your wing to Smith's figure 2 on p.2 of the handbook. If yours is radically different, then I give up. Good luck!

Howard,

You're right.  I wrote M1 where I should have said A1.  Comes of being too hasty.  And my improved picture clearly shows a relatively short A1. So L. lutea it is (couplet 6.)

Ragards
Anthony

Looks like Stomorhina lunata (Rhiniidae) to me.  Worth iRecording.

Thank you, just looked it up, an interesting vagrant. 

I'm not sure why the four images I uploaded are not showing... I'll try again.

Yes, it they look like P. tuguriorum and it all fits. Many thanks for your help.

Martin

I'll contact 'Help' to find out what's going wrong with the uploads.

Hello Kate,

It looks like a correct ID to me from your pics.

I recorded this specices quite regularly on the Isle of Mull years ago when I lived there, I am now in Perthshire and have only had a single specimen in over twenty years, and that was this year in a malaise trap. Nice hoverfly

Boyd Barr

Hello Kate,

Forgot to mention in last post regarding 'recent arrivals'. Having checked in my small library.... M.P.Van Veen (Hoverflies of N.W. Europe ) Only lists F.Cuprea and Ruficornis.

Ball & Morris, as well as Stubbs again only list those two species The Swedish publication Tvavingar: Blomflugor  only cite the same, as does De Meutter (Velgids Zweefvliegen).

However, as you would expect, Verrall mentions a third species known as aurea and quotes only known from Italy. The pics that you post do show the strong dark 'bristles on the thorax and the apparent 'brassy' sheen of the abdomen look very convincing.

Boyd Barr

Hello Boyd. Many thanks for your comments.

I did check in Ball and Morris, plus Steven Falk's website, but am always wary of 'new' confusion species that have not yet made into authoritative publications and websites.  I'm therefore not suprised there's a third species to consider, but I've just found a paper on ResearchGate (from 2010) that details "all the four species recorded in the Palaearctic region"   - and makes reference to F. fumipennis too.  The paper includes a key to the adults of the Iberian species of Ferdinandea, so I'll try to get to know the genus a little better and hope to see more of these lovely flies.  

Hello Kate,

How interesting, it appears that you hunches are correct!

Unable to find that paper on ResearchGate, but did look at records for F. fumipennis on Gbif. Looks like a very south European distribution including Portugal, Spain France Etc ...like you , with current trends of North migration due to warmer temperatures we should certainly be on the look out for other species. F. ruficornis is a magnificent Syrphid, and as quoted in the literature ( Stubb's & Falk and other) perhaps frequents the tree canopy, what a niche yet to be really examined!

S. iridatus is by far the more frequent of the two species, and since the wings appear to be mostly clear that would also suggest S. iridatus. It should still be possible to dissect out the furca and confirm an identification that way (and I'd be happy to look at the specimen if you wish to pass it on).

I'm not aware of anyone who has successfully reared Sargus from the egg stage, only from larvae that are already well grown. Which is not to say that it can't be done, and it would be fascinating to give it a try! I imagine that the challenge will be getting the right moisture levels and the correct balance between providing decaying matter for food without the eggs/larvae themselves starting to decay. Sorry I can't suggest anything more helpful.

Looks like Cordilura albipes (Scathophagidae)

thank you that looks very likely. I will record it and see if the verifyer agrees.

I've just found it is the rear metatarsals which are swollen not the tarsus.

I would have wished by now that members of the forum may have responded to my request regarding records for this species in Scotland.

Understand that these may be very limited but with regard to the two recorders that I mention....some members must know details of who they are and able to alert them as to my request regardless of membership of our forum.

I wish to publish a short note in the Dipt. Digest regarding this observation, which I believe is of significance.

Your help is sort and will be appreciated.

Boyd Barr

Ballinluig

Scotland