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size 7.5 mm
Date: 17th July 2007
Location: UK, Suffolk
Habitat: edge of alder wood on bramble leaves

Any thoughts on this Leopoldius sp...

thanks,

Steve

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I'll try again to upload photo

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There is no picture seen. Edit your thread and check whether the image file has the right size - not more than 195 kb - and a correct name (no spaces, lower case letters). Much luck!
Sundew

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once more...

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I'll try a .png filetype, size 76 Kb

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Leopoldius key.

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Steve,

I've just been looking at Leopoldius specimens with the help of David Clements, who runs the UK recording scheme for this family. First question is whether its male or female, I always find that quite tricky for conopids:o! I'm going to guess that yours is a male, in which case it is L. signatus, as the only other UK species is L. brevirostris which has vertical black streaks on the face (in the male). If it's a female then it would be helpful to see the upperside of the abdomen.

Face of male L. brevirostris shown below for comparison.

Martin

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Thanks for replies and the link to the key.

It would appear to be a female L signatus - the small size and early date had made me unsure initially.

Steve

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abdomen view

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Actually, I think this is a female L brevirostris, which is a rarer species in the UK mainly associated with woodland.

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Looks very much like a MALE to me.....


Theo

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Well Theo, I can assure you that it's not. The theca on segment 5 is clearly visible, although slightly tucked under the abdomen. I am presently reviewing the Palaearctic 'black-and-yellow' Leopoldius, and have genitalia figures for most species. The female of brevirostris does have a slightly bulbous 7th segment, as do several other species. Confusion of the sexes is commonplace (even Krober got it wrong sometimes), but this is clearly a female (the abdomen shape is also characteristic for brevisrostris)