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Hello!

These about 10 mm long flies were numerous on tree trunks today here in Ostwestfalen/Germany. My guess would be Tephrochlamys rufiventris. Is that correct? Thank you!



http://insektenin...tris_1.jpg
http://insektenin...tris_4.jpg
http://insektenin...tris_5.jpg



On the same trunks also some Muscidae (?). Maybe Phaonia?
http://insektenin...nia_sp.jpg

And on our house's wall a Pollenia?
http://insektenin..._rudis.jpg

BTW: Although it was quite cold (4-5 ?C, still much snow, see below) and windy today, I saw the first Syrphids standing still in the air at the wood's edge. One even landed on my jacket, but unfortunately did not allow me to take a pic. Must have been Eristalis tenax or pertinax males.

http://insektenin..._Maerz.jpg

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It could be a rufiventris species .
Andrzej

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Hello, Andrzej!



Do you mean a Tephrochlamys species? (In the checklist in "Entomofauna germanica" there are only two other: T. flavipes and T. tarsalis).

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Of course. Please note that T. rufiventris is a common species known from Germany also !.
Best Regards !.
Andrzej

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Jurgen

Phaonia - now well established on this forum as my favourites (not):@. Your pic shows a number of the characteristics of the ones I am getting here in Essex, so I think your ID is correct.

Syrphids - I always get Eristalis tenax long before E pertinax. I don't know if that is generally the case in other areas though.

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Hello, Andrzej!



Yes, those flies are common here, but I did not see so many on one single day (several on every tree trunk in the sun).

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Hello, Susan!



Thanks for the confirmation!



That is normally the same here. But I could not see the flies clearly, so I was not 100% sure. E. tenax seems to overwinter here (at least partly) as adults and so can be active much earlier than pertinax or other species.