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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-3--600794091 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Hi Angus, There are a number of genera of Syrphidae which have a constricted abdomen. Try doing a Google image search on the genera Sphegina or Neoascia and you'll see what I mean. For instance: Neoascia gibbosa http://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/album/029047048ap.html Sphegina species http://homepage3.nifty.com/syrphidae1/chrysoga/spe_frem.jpg Both of these genera also have swollen femurs. Your specimen, however, looks more like a member of the genus Xylota, more particularly either: Xylota hinei (Curran) Xylota quadrimaculata Loew (Unfortunately there don't appear to be photos of either species available on the Internet). Although its hard to see that much detail in your photo, it is similar to both of these species in that the apex of the abdomen is dark and the basal segments are banded; there is a slight constriction of the abdomen, the abdomen is dorso-ventrally flattened; the eyes are large and dark red; and the femur is slightly swollen with apparent bristles on the ventral surface. In beetles, swollen femurs are indicative of jumping ability; perhaps these flies have a similar ability, or else the comination of femur and bristles could be indicative of an ability to grasp objects between the legs? Best wishes, Chris On 6-Oct-06, at 10:03 PM, Angus MacLean wrote: > This fly is confusing to me since 1) the abdomen appears to be > pinched where it meets the thorax (a feature more of wasps?), and > 2) is there any significance in the hind femur being swollen? > (Unfortunately I did not have the camera set to a high quality so > it cannot be enlarged). > Comments are, of course, appreciated. > Angus > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/58321572@N00/262625983/ _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. _. Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 3A6 (902) 424-6435 Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. _. --Apple-Mail-3--600794091 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 <HTML><BODY style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; = -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Angus,<DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN = class=3D"Apple-style-span">There are a number of genera of Syrphidae = which have a constricted abdomen. Try doing a Google image=A0search on = the genera <I>Sphegina</I> or <I>Neoascia</I> and you'll see what I = mean. For instance:</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><I>Neoascia = gibbosa</I></DIV><DIV><A = href=3D"http://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/album/029047048ap.html">http= ://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/album/029047048ap.html</A></DIV><DIV><BR= class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN = class=3D"Apple-style-span"><I>Sphegina</I> species</SPAN></DIV><DIV><A = href=3D"http://homepage3.nifty.com/syrphidae1/chrysoga/spe_frem.jpg">http:= //homepage3.nifty.com/syrphidae1/chrysoga/spe_frem.jpg</A></DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN = class=3D"Apple-style-span">Both of these genera also have swollen = femurs.=A0</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN = class=3D"Apple-style-span">Your specimen, however, looks more like a = member of the genus <I>Xylota</I>, more particularly = either:</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN = class=3D"Apple-style-span"><I>Xylota hinei</I> = (Curran)</SPAN></DIV><DIV><SPAN class=3D"Apple-style-span"><I>Xylota = quadrimaculata</I> Loew</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>(Unfortunately there don't = appear to be photos of either species available on the = Internet).</DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Although its hard to see = that much detail in your photo, it is similar to both of these species = in that the apex of the abdomen is dark and the basal segments are = banded; there is a slight constriction of the abdomen, the abdomen is = dorso-ventrally flattened; the eyes are large and dark red; and the = femur is slightly swollen with apparent bristles on the ventral = surface.</DIV><DIV><BR class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>In = beetles, swollen femurs are indicative of jumping ability; perhaps these = flies have a similar ability, or else the comination of femur and = bristles could be indicative of an ability to grasp objects between the = legs?</DIV><DIV><BR class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Best = wishes,</DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Chris=A0</DIV><DIV><BR><DIV><= DIV>On 6-Oct-06, at 10:03 PM, Angus MacLean wrote:</DIV><BR = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><DIV = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">This fly is confusing to me since 1) the abdomen = appears to be pinched where it meets the thorax (a feature more of = wasps?), and 2) is there any significance in the hind femur being = swollen? (Unfortunately I did not have the camera set to a high quality = so it cannot be enlarged).</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Comments are, = of course, appreciated.</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; = ">Angus</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><A = href=3D"http://www.flickr.com/photos/58321572@N00/262625983/">http://www.f= lickr.com/photos/58321572@N00/262625983/</A></DIV> = </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><DIV> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px = 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._= ._._._.</FONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT = face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">Christopher Majka = - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History</FONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: = 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Times">1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada<SPAN = class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>B3H 3A6</FONT></P> <P = style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">(902) 424-6435 <SPAN = class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>Email <<A = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</A>></F= ONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times"= size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._= ._._._.</FONT></P> </DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>= --Apple-Mail-3--600794091--
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Index of Subjects