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Dear all,

today i photographed this Volucella. Earlier today I recorded a similar looking fly which i identified as Volucella zonaria. As you can see on this image, the thorax largely black. To me this indicates that this is a male Volucella inanis. This specimen was visiting Eupatorium flowers in my garden. I live in the Netherlands (Zeeland).

General comments on the staus of these two species in the Netherlands and especially Zeeland are welcome to.

Any comments?
Many thanks in advance
Jan Barten

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Hi Jan

I would say that this is another example of Volucella zonaria. I have never really used the colours of the thorax to separate V.zonaria from V.inanis, apart from noting that there is more brown on the thorax of V.zonaria than on V.inanis.

With these two species, apart from size, I find the colour of Tergite 2 the easiest way to separate them. In V.zonaria, T2 is a chestnut brown colour, in V.inanis T2 is a clear yellow colour. Although I can not see T2 in your photo very well, it appears to be quite dark - suggesting V.zonaria. Attached is a picture of V.inanis for comparisom.



Regards

Matt

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Hi Jan and Matt,

Matt is right in using the coloration of the second tergite in order to separate V. inanis (without red) and V. zonaria (with red).
But Jan you are right too, there is a difference in coloration of the thorax between females and males V. zonaria. The females have the thorax entirely bright brown-red, whereas the males have the thorax much more dark, black with some brown-red at the sides.

Best wishes,

John

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And since most Volucella zonaria seen are females, we tend to think that the thorax always is reddish brown!. ;)

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For comparison (because showed inanis is a male...) a female zonaria.