Diptera.info :: Family forums :: Syrphidae
 Episyrphus balteatus
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| cyprinoid |
Posted on 19-07-2009 18:00
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 Member Location: Norway Posts: 1751 Joined: 19.06.09 |
This one was sitting on a leaf making a buzzing sound and others were congrigating near it. From time to time it took off and fought (?) the others. Is it male or female? How can I tell the difference? I've got some nice in flight pictures, I hope I have both sexes, but it's probably not. No copulation pics though. In all excitement I forgot to add: Norway & July Thanks cyprinoid attached the following image:  [128.46Kb] Edited by cyprinoid on 18-08-2009 08:36 Hyperbolizer |
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| lagura |
Posted on 19-07-2009 19:43
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 Member Location: Helsingborg, Sweden Posts: 1241 Joined: 24.10.08 |
This is a male Episyrphus balteatus. You can tell males from females by the spacing of their eyes. Males have their eyes close together. The coloration of the abdomen is also a little different. Females have (at least the ones I've seen) some pale stripes between the black stripes. Males are also generally smaller than females. Edited by lagura on 19-07-2009 19:46  |
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| cyprinoid |
Posted on 19-07-2009 20:51
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Member Location: Norway Posts: 1751 Joined: 19.06.09 |
Ok, so I probably only saw males then. I hoped the different behaviour was courtship. Do you agree that these are both males: cyprinoid attached the following image:  [130.12Kb] Edited by cyprinoid on 19-07-2009 20:52 Hyperbolizer |
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| cyprinoid |
Posted on 19-07-2009 20:53
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Member Location: Norway Posts: 1751 Joined: 19.06.09 |
and this
cyprinoid attached the following image:  [114.63Kb] Hyperbolizer |
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| lagura |
Posted on 20-07-2009 23:13
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Member Location: Helsingborg, Sweden Posts: 1241 Joined: 24.10.08 |
No, those appear to be females. Note the paler parts (stripes) on the abdomen). But it's hard to tell from that angle.
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| Andre |
Posted on 21-07-2009 08:30
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 Member Location: Tilburg, the Netherlands Posts: 2111 Joined: 18.07.04 |
Both are defenitely males. Paler parts are NO character to use, because this species can be very variable and there are no differences between males and females! The eyes are meeting for a considderable distance. And, though small, you can see that it has genitalia at the tip of the abdomen... |
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| cyprinoid |
Posted on 21-07-2009 12:47
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Member Location: Norway Posts: 1751 Joined: 19.06.09 |
I was really hoping that I got in-flight pics of both sexes, since they look slightly different. This is a female, right? cyprinoid attached the following image:  [130.83Kb] Hyperbolizer |
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