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Tag Archives: Xanthogramma pedissequum

X is for Xylota & Xanthogramma

29 Wednesday Dec 2021

Posted by sconzani in insects

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British hoverflies, hoverfly, Xanthogramma pedissequum, Xylota segnis, Xylota sylvarum

If it weren’t for hoverflies, this letter might well have proven rather tricky. Fortunately, there are three genera of hoverfly in Britain with names beginning with X: Xanthandrus, Xanthogramma and Xylota. I have seen none of the first but I have seen one of the Xanthogramma species, X. pedissequum (there are two others that have so far eluded me, X. stackelbergi and X. citrofasciatum).

211229 Xanthogramma pedissequum

There are seven British species of Xylota, of which I have so far encountered only two, X. segnis (below left) and X. sylvarum (below right). I’m still finding hoverflies a rather tricky family to identify but these particular finds have been confirmed through a series of photos by those much more expert than I will ever be.

211229 Xylota segnis
211229 xylota sylvarum

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170/366 Misc hoverflies

18 Thursday Jun 2020

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

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British hoverflies, Cheilosia illustrata, Chrysotoxum bicinctum, Episyrphus balteatus, Eupeodes corollae, Helophilus pendulus, hoverfly, Sphaerophoria scripta, Volucella pellucens, Xanthogramma pedissequum, Xylota species

Hoverflies seem particularly numerous this year … or maybe it’s just that I’ve been keeping more of an eye out for them. Here are some of the species I’ve clocked in the past couple of weeks. Looking through my photos again now, I’m struck by how diverse these lovely creatures are.

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Volucella bombylans: One of the bumblebee-mimicking hoverflies. This one was snoozing on a cool day, which is how I managed to get a nice close shot.

200618 chrysotoxum bicinctum

Chrysotoxum bicinctum: Its distinctive yellow bars make this hoverfly reasonably easy to identify.

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Episyrphus balteatus: Also known as the Marmalade hoverfly. Despite its small size, this species is known some years to migrate en masse to Britain from continental Europe.

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Eupeodes corollae: These two were otherwise occupied, which allowed me to get quite close to them.

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Helophilus pendulus: The ‘footballer’, because of the striped ‘footballers’ kit’ markings on its abdomen.

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Sphaerophoria scripta: Apparently, the yellow colouration is influenced by the temperature at which the larvae develop, so Spring-born individuals can be darker than those hatching later in the year.

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Volucella pellucens: One of Britain’s larger hoverflies; also known as the Great Pied hoverfly and the Pellucid fly.

200618 xanthogramma pedissequum

Xanthogramma pedissequum: This used to be easy to identify from its distinctive markings but, in 2012, the very similar Xanthogramma stackelbergi was added to the British list so now the thoracic markings need to be carefully checked to ensure the correct identification.

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Xylota species: I didn’t get good enough photos of this one to be able to work out whether this was X. segnis or X. sylvarum – you need very clear views of its hind tibia to work out which is which.

 

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152/365 Hovering

01 Saturday Jun 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, insects, nature

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#365DaysWild, British hoverflies, Chrysotoxum bicinctum, Episyrphus balteatus, Helophilus pendulus, hoverfly, Volucella bombylans, Volucella bombylans subsp. plumata, Xanthogramma pedissequum

I found a new path today, which led me through swathes of long grass bordered by brambles and low shrubby bushes. I emerged with wet shoes and trousers from the dew still coating the grass but with lots of photos of hoverflies, so I will definitely be going back to explore further. Here are the hovers …

190601 1 volucella bombylans
190601 2 volucella bombylans subsp plumata

Volucella bombylans and Volucella bombylans subsp. plumata
At first glance you might think these two hoverflies were bumblebees, and that’s exactly what they want you to think – or, rather, what they want bumblebees to think, because they don’t want to be caught out when sneaking in to lay their eggs in the nests of the bumblebees they mimic (which are the Red-tailed bumblebee Bombus lapidarius and the White-tailed bumblebee Bombus lucorum respectively).

190601 3 helophilus pendulus
190601 4 chrysotoxum bicinctum

Helophilus pendulus and Chrysotoxum bicinctum
Do you see why the hoverfly on the left is known as The Footballer? I’m not sure which football team his colourful markings are meant to represent – perhaps Helophilus pendulus has its own team. Its distinctive bands of bright yellow make Chrysotoxum bicinctum one of the easier hoverflies to identify.

190601 5 Xanthogramma pedissequum
190601 6 episyrphus balteatus

Xanthogramma pedissequum and Episyrphus balteatus
Xanthogramma pedissequum is another hoverfly with reasonably easy to identify markings – believe me, not all hoverflies are so easy! And with its rich orange colouring, Episyrphus balteatus looks almost edible, which is probably why it’s called the Marmalade hoverfly.

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Checking out commas and dashes

01 Thursday Sep 2016

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Chrysotoxum bicinctum, Eupeodes corollae, Eupeodes luniger, hoverfly, Migrant hoverfly, Xanthogramma pedissequum

No, this is not a post about English grammar! I thought I would share more photos of hoverflies before they disappear for the year and it just so happens that today’s selection is not at all scientific – same genus, same habitats – they just all happen to be decorated with commas or dashes.

160901 Chrysotoxum bicinctum

First up is Chrysotoxum bicinctum, with the two yellow stripes across its abdomen making it quite a distinctive hoverfly and also more easily identifiable than many. Its antennae are a little longer than most hoverflies so this little critter is really trying very hard to imitate a wasp … but without the sting. Usually found in grassy habitats with nearby trees and shrubs for shelter, Chrysotoxum bicinctum can be seen from May to September in most parts of Britain.

160901 Eupeodes corollae (a)
160901 Eupeodes corollae (b)

Also known as the Migrant hoverfly because, despite its small size, it is migrates across Europe and North Africa, Eupeodes corollae is rather a pretty little hoverfly. It can be a little tricky to ID as the males and females have different yellow markings and, to further confuse things, it is also very similar to Eupeodes luniger, up next. Interestingly, E. corollae has been used as way to control insects and aphids on fruit plantations and in greenhouses … but it turns out they ate more fruit than aphids!

160901 Eupeodes luniger

The difference between E. corollae and Eupeodes luniger is in those commas that adorn their abdomens. In E. corollae the markings extend to the edge of the abdomen, whereas in E. luniger they do not. That sounds an easy way to identify them but these hoverflies are not huge critters and it’s not always easy to see those edges. Eupeodes luniger is another migrating species that is known to fly long distances. In Britain they are mostly found in the southern counties.

160901 Xanthogramma pedissequum

Last but certainly not least is Xanthogramma pedissequum, another striking wasp mimic, with characteristic vertical stripes on its thorax and horizontal dashes on its abdomen. Though peaking in June and July, it can be seen in southern Britain from May through to September, in grassy places and along tracks and trails where there is some bare dirt. Presumably, this is because their larvae feed on the aphids found in ants’ nests so they are looking along those pathways for suitable egg-laying places.

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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