Annotated Hoverfly list – July

Note – Cheilisoa species according to the two main sources are hard to speciate as most of the characters used are subtle and a collection of reference specimens is required for comparisons so I have tried but these may not be 100% accurate identifications.

  • Eristalis pertinax – Ham Common Woods and Richmond Park
  • Eristalis tenax – Richmond Park
  • Eristalis intricaria – Richmond Park – Bumble-bee mimic
  • Eristalis nemorum – Isabella Plantation
  • Dasysyrphus sp – Several seen (but these are not D.albostriatus)
  • Dasysyrphus albostriatus – Ham Common Woods
  • Cheilisoa pagana – Large mainly black hoverfly with orange antennae seen in Ham Common Woods and Ham Lands
  • Cheilisoa scutellata – Ham Common Woods. Possibility this species (see above)
  • Cheilisoa sp – Small mainly black hoverfly with hairy eyes seen in Ham Common Woods
  • Cheilisoa sp – Isabella Plantation. Hairy eyes and orange hairs
  • Helophilus pendulus – Richmond Park
  • Myathropa florea – Ham Lands and Ham Common Woods in particular
  • Episyrphus balteatus – Commonest hoverfly this month. All sites
  • Sphaerophoria sp – Several seen including on Bramble (wings same length as body).
  • Sphaerophoria rueppellii – Isabella Plantation (Peg Pond). Male with distinctive markings and orange abdomen
  • Sphaerophoria scripta – Ham Common Woods. Wings shorter than abdomen
  • Volucella pellucens – Ham Common Woods and Isabella Plantation
  • Volucella zonaria – Ham Lands and Isabella Plantation
  • Volucella inanis – Ham Lands
  • Xanthogramma pedissequum – Ham Common Woods and Richmond Park
  • Platycherius sp – Ham Common. Probably more than one species
  • Pipiza sp – Small dark hoverfly probably P.noctiluca but genitalia job to confirm. Ham Common – Latchmere brook.
  • Pipiza austriaca – Possibly this species in Isabella Plantation seen on 31st July
  • Scaeva pyrastri – Richmond Park
  • Merodon equestris – Richmond Park – Bumble-bee mimic
  • Melanostoma scalare – Richmond Park
  • Syrphus vitripennis – Richmond Park, Ham Common Woods and Ham Lands
  • Syrphus ribesii – Richmond Park, Ham Common Woods and Ham Lands
  • Syrphus torvus – Isabella Plantation
  • Xylota sylvarum – Isabella Plantation
  • Xylota segnis – Isabella Plantation
  • Xylota florum – Isabella Plantation. Could be X.jakotorum but the white hairs on the rear thigh fit florum and not jakotorum
  • Syritta pipiens – Isabella Plantation
  • Ferdinandea cuprea – Ham Gate, Richmond Park
  • Meliscaeva auricollis – Isabella Plantation

A better total than previous months with a total of nearly 35 hoverfly species. There were probably more species out there!