100 More Species #16: Small wasp-mimic hoverfly

[urbpan]

Small wasp-mimic hover fly Toxomerus, probably T. geminatus

The genus Toxomerus contains a great many species, especially in the New World tropics. Up here in New England T. geminatus is one of the more common species. These hover flies, varying in size but almost always less than 1 cm long, mimic small wasps. Each hover fly I've covered in this project has been smaller than the one before, and I suspect this is it for that pattern unless my photographic equipment is upgraded.



It is pleasing to capture the fly in the act of feeding on pollen. It's also nice to see that spiderwort is definitely participating in the ecology of the yard.

Comments

[badnoodles.livejournal.com]

You got the spurious vein in the shot. That's excellent!

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I submitted that second pic to bugguide.net even though it's blurry because the wing vein were visible! All the ID tips on that page seem to be about other features, however.

[badnoodles.livejournal.com]

Syrphids are such a bitch to ID, I'm not surprised at all. Plus, there's Turpin's Rule of Insect Photography: The more important the character, the less likely it is to be adequately photographed.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I'm always shocked when it turns out to be some weird thing like antennal segments, or the shape of the femur, or god forbid the genitals that's important.

[viridian5.livejournal.com]

I love the color combination in the photos, the purple and yellow.