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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-17-473021512 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Hi Angus, On 20-Oct-06, at 12:33 AM, Angus MacLean wrote: > Thanks, Chris. I believe from some research I did since yesterday > that these are mimics of Potter Wasps. Does that sound reasonable? > (of course Tiphiid wasps are also a possibility). My knowledge of syrphids is pretty slender, however, I think many (maybe even most?) species, however, are considered to be wasp or bee mimics. I've no idea what wasp Sphaerophoria imitates in particular; could be a potter wasp or some other vespid. I've no idea if this is even known. Cheers, Chris > Angus > > At 07:11 PM 10/19/2006, Chris Majka wrote: >> Hi Angus, >> >> On 18-Oct-06, at 9:39 PM, Angus MacLean wrote: >> >>> I believe I can see the haltere on this creature, so a fly, but >>> the abdomen is so oddly shaped (like a wasp) and brightly >>> coloured that I wonder. Unfortunately I was only able to get this >>> one photo before it flew. Does anyone know what it is? >>> >>> http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=273483144&size=m >>> >>> The abdomen suggests a Robber Fly but the wings appear too small/ >>> frail. >> >> This is another syrphid fly. It is a member of the genus >> Sphaerophoria. See for example: >> >> http://www.veluwe-insecten.nl/zweefvliegen/sphaerophoria/ >> sphaerophoria.html >> http://popgen.unimaas.nl/~jlindsey/commanster/Insects/Flies/ >> SpFlies/Sphaerophoria.interrupta.jpg >> >> We have a large assortment of these species in our collection. >> Unfortunately, almost all of them are labeled (by Vockeroth who >> determined the series in 1971) as Sphaerophoria species (i.e. >> unidentified) or Sphaerophoria sp. nov. (i.e. an undescribed >> species) although there are a couple of specimens of Sphaerophoria >> philanthus Mg. So, at this stage, Sphaerophoria sp. is as far as I >> can go with the determination. >> >> All the best! >> >> Chris >> >> _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._ >> ._._. >> >> 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 > >> >> _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._ >> ._._. _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. _. 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-17-473021512 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><DIV><DIV>On = 20-Oct-06, at 12:33 AM, Angus MacLean wrote:</DIV><BR = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"> Thanks, = Chris. I believe from some research I did since yesterday that these are = mimics of Potter Wasps. Does that sound reasonable? (of course Tiphiid = wasps are also a possibility).<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN = class=3D"Apple-style-span">My=A0knowledge of syrphids is pretty slender, = however, I think many (maybe even most?) species, however, are = considered to be wasp or bee mimics. I've no idea what = wasp=A0<I>Sphaerophoria</I> imitates in particular; could be a potter = wasp or some other vespid. I've no idea if this is even = known.</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Cheers,</DIV><DIV><BR = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Chris</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE = type=3D"cite"> Angus<BR><BR> At 07:11 PM 10/19/2006, Chris Majka = wrote:<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite" class=3D"cite" cite=3D"">Hi = Angus,<BR><BR> On 18-Oct-06, at 9:39 PM, Angus MacLean wrote:<BR><BR> = <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite" class=3D"cite" cite=3D"">I believe I can see = the haltere on this creature, so a fly, but the abdomen is so oddly = shaped (like a wasp) and brightly coloured that I wonder. Unfortunately = I was only able to get this one photo before it flew. Does anyone know = what it is?<BR><BR> <A = href=3D"http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=3D273483144&size=3Dm"> = http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=3D273483144&size=3Dm</A><BR><B= R> The abdomen suggests a Robber Fly but the wings appear too = small/frail.</BLOCKQUOTE><BR> This is another syrphid fly. It is a = member of the genus <I>Sphaerophoria</I>. See for example:<BR><BR> <A = href=3D"http://www.veluwe-insecten.nl/zweefvliegen/sphaerophoria/sphaeroph= oria.html"> = http://www.veluwe-insecten.nl/zweefvliegen/sphaerophoria/sphaerophoria.htm= l</A> <BR> <A = href=3D"http://popgen.unimaas.nl/~jlindsey/commanster/Insects/Flies/SpFlie= s/Sphaerophoria.interrupta.jpg" eudora=3D"autourl"> = http://popgen.unimaas.nl/~jlindsey/commanster/Insects/Flies/SpFlies/Sphaer= ophoria.interrupta.jpg</A> <BR><BR> We have a large assortment of these = species in our collection. Unfortunately, almost all of them are labeled = (by Vockeroth who determined the series in 1971) as <I>Sphaerophoria</I> = species (i.e. unidentified) or <I>Sphaerophoria</I> sp. nov. (i.e. an = undescribed species) although there are a couple of specimens of = <I>Sphaerophoria philanthus</I> Mg. So, at this stage, = <I>Sphaerophoria</I> sp. is as far as I can go with the = determination.<BR><BR> All the best!<BR><BR> Chris<BR><BR> <FONT = face=3D"Times, Times"> = _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.= <BR> </FONT><BR> <FONT face=3D"Times, Times">Christopher Majka - Nova = Scotia Museum of Natural History<BR> </FONT><BR> <FONT face=3D"Times, = Times">1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada=A0 B3H 3A6<BR> = </FONT><BR> <FONT face=3D"Time