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Insect ID - possibly black honeybees?

LucidLucid Posts: 328
in Wildlife gardening

Hi everyone,

Earlier today I spotted what I thought was a hoverfly on one of the pond plants - Ranunculus flammula (Lesser spearwort). I then spotted another on a Californian Poppy. I didn't think the photos would come out very well as I still haven't figured the extreme close up setting but they came out much better than I thought:

image

image

I've attempted to find out which type of hoverfly they are but it seems that they could be a black honeybee? Just wondering if anyone might have an idea if that's correct or if not which type of hoverfly it could be?

Lucid image

Posts

  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 1,194

    It is a fly because of the stubby antenae. It looks like the hoverfly Eristalis pertinax.

     http://bioref.lastdragon.org/Diptera/Eristalis_pertinax.html 

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Third rock from the sunPosts: 27,246

    It looks like a narcissus bulb fly but unless you are a real expert in flies so many of them look so similar image

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • LucidLucid Posts: 328

    Thanks for the replies. I think it's definitely a type of eristalis hoverfly but there are so many varieties it's difficult to tell which one. 

    Lucid image

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