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Moscow region, end july

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P.S. As far as I find, the second one looks much like Cheilosia pagana.

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I think the first one is Melanostoma mellinum, a male. The second is something near Chalcosyrphus (nemorum?), or maybe Xylota (abiens?).

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Thank you Paul.
As for first one I suspected Melanostoma mellinum.
As for second one there isn't such genus in my book.
Paul, one question. I tried to order first 3 books from your bibliography list via my friend in US, he didn't find its. In which i-net european bookstore I can order its, please?

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You can try http://www.pemboo...mon.co.uk/. The Dutch checklist can be ordered for less on http://www.knnvui...ndexUK.htm, but if you order three books from one bookshop it may be to your advantage in respect to shipping costs (once in stead of twice).

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Thank you.

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Hello to all,

I had a look in my collection with Xylota abiens and Chalcosyrphus nemorum. I think, the picture shows X. abiens, because of the white parts of the tarsae, as the specimen of my collection. My C. nemorum specimen have black tarsae.

Greetings
Gisela Merkel-Wallner

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Thank you Gisela.

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Interesting, but are you sure it is not vice versa ?
The colourplate in Stubbs & Falk demonstrate yellow tarsi in nemorum and complete black tarsi in abiens.
Anyway, the short abdomen and the very small amount of yellow on the hind tibia suggest nemorum rather than abiens.
But then again, it is difficult to tell for the picture


Theo Zeegers

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Dear Theo Zeegers,

you may be right. I found some pictures of X. abiens with white tarsae on this site:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/cyrille.dussaix/Xylota_abiens/X.abiens.htm

I think, I have to check my collection once again.

Gisela Merkel-Wallner

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Dear Gisela,


The fotos on your website are, based on my criteria for Xylota on pictures, indeed not X. nemorum. The abdomen is too long and there seems to be too much yellow on the base of tibiae 3.
So, the identification of the specimens in your collection might be perfectly right. Maybe the colouration of the tarsi is just very variable.
Which would, however, be quite curious, since it is rather constant in the larger Xylota-species, like meigeniana en coeruleiventris.

But then again, I am not a real expert, maybe Menno (?) can help

Theo