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Hi,

I hope I have this one right. :) It looks like it was waiting to dry out but I saw it like this for over 4 hours, then it disappeared. Thanks!

On 16th June, Lincoln UK.

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Face

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It is the correct ID :)

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Thank you Andre! :D

Janet

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It's great you caught this one like this, must have been emerged nearby...?

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Hi Andre, it was on a Lilium plant which I have in a pot, one of several, which I repotted early in the year but I have other pots nearby which had overwintered nearby outside. It was in semi-shade by my garage, and also I have a large Horse Chestnut tree near that with compost bins. I'm not sure where they develop, it might have been mixed in my compost for the pots, which is mainly from leaves! Or maybe under a pot, I don't know but it couldn't have been far away with wings like that. I wish now that I had used a low level flash to get better pics, I took a lot, not sure if that would have damaged it's eyes.

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I don't know either if flash can damage its eyes... interesting suggestion! Anyone to make it to a scientific study? ;)

About its development: Chrysotoxum festivum (as are other Chrysotoxum species) is said to develop within ants nests, presumably predators of root aphids. But, this must be said immediately: the precise feeding habits of the larvae of Chrysotoxum are unknown. Most recent info concerning festivum:
"puparium described and figured by Speight (1976), who found the mature larva with the ant Lasius niger, beneath a stone in Corylus/Prunus scrub on old pasture".

Speight, M.C.D. (1976) The puparium of Chrysotoxum festivum (L.) (Dipt., Syrphidae). Ent.Rec.J.Var., 88: 51-52.

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That is very interesting! Not the flash, but it was because it had freshly emerged I was more worried, although I often wonder if it damages more mature flies' eyes. I sometimes use a low level flash as it's usually duyll here!

Lasius niger nests in the greenhouse where I had grown the Lilium from seed in early 2007, it was very early Februaury when I transplanted them into larger pots and placed outside by my garage. I don't think I moved any other plants to that area form that greenhouse, it is my neighbour's and gets more sun than mine do. Each year Lasius niger swarm with queens emerging, I have pics from 16th July this year. They always go into the bottom of some pots, as well as nesting under concrete slabs on the gorund. I do remember last year the ants also went into pots on the shelf where these were, it's easy to tell as the compost comes out the bottom as they mine it! I have had the same ants in my shadier greenhouse in pots too.

I imagine the larva may have been in the pot with Lilium, as I re-used the compost. It's also possible there was an ants nest under the concrete base of the garage nearby, but as it had climbed up the Lilium plant my guess is it was in the pot. ;)

Adding that there was also vine weevil in some of the pots of young lilium from their first year, which I found when transplanting in February as larvae. I doubt it has anything to do with this fly but thought I should mention it!

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Must be a real adventure, your greenhouse/garden! :)

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Yes it is! :D The cheapest and best entertainment there is! I had a female Sericomyia silentis a few days ago on Ivy flowers, they are supposed to be in peat areas and more north and west than I am. My area is old pasture mainly (with some crops) and old woodland with sandy, acid soil.