Posted by nick upton on 02-08-2011 18:42
#1
Can anyone say if this is P. rufipes (quite common in the UK) or the other UK species P.nigra.. ? I'm not sure how to separate them....
2.8.11 c 10mm Wiltshire chalk grassland on Marjoram flower.
Posted by nick upton on 02-08-2011 20:36
#3
OK, many thanks, I'll have a go!
Posted by nick upton on 03-08-2011 22:30
#4
Tricky.... As usual with keys, they need me to be sure of features that the photos I have can't help with.... I always try to get different angles, but this one only hung around for a few seconds so i have just this one angle of view. I think it comes out as P. rufipes or P. nigfra (the 2 UK species...), but the view i have isn't head on enough to check the facial patterning (and i think it's pollen dusted anyway) and i'd need dorsal view to check the shape of some bands on the tergites; so unless anyone knows another way to separate them I guess it's a probable P. rufipes (as they're supposed to be common in the UK) but maybe the scarcer P.nigra.. though I can't find a record for Wiltshire (mostly in Scotland and coastal sites in England).