Insect and Spider Identification: SOLVED: Is this a young european wasp please?

Forum: Insect and Spider Identification Replies: 5, Views: 28 Print -

Author Content sulkyrob Ballarat Australia November 04, 2009 05:53 PM Post #7241731 Photo'ed this on a Geum in our garden at Ballarat, Australia. It was much smaller than the regular wasps we have around - about 1cm long - and the markings on the back are a little different. Is it just an immature wasp or something different? Click the image for an enlarged view. suunto Sinks Grove, WV November 04, 2009 06:24 PM Post #7241827 This is not a wasp at all, but a fly in the family Syrphidae. Often called flower flies or hover flies, many species are excellent bee or wasp mimics. sulkyrob Ballarat Australia November 04, 2009 07:22 PM Post #7242002 Brilliant - thank you "suunto" suunto Sinks Grove, WV November 04, 2009 07:41 PM Post #7242057 For some examples of Australian species, see http://tinyurl.com/y9hfdk9 kennedyh Churchill, Victoria Australia (Zone 10a) November 05, 2009 03:48 PM Post #7244806 It looks to me very like Melangyna viridiceps which is one of the commonest hover-flies in Victoria: http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/1097/ Kennedy sulkyrob Ballarat Australia November 05, 2009 04:55 PM Post #7244970 Thanks Kennedy - that's spot on!

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Subject Thread Starter Replies Last Post Tiny Red Critters Angel 16 Jul 17, 2009 3:05 AM Do you know what kind of Spider this is? dignbloom 46 Oct 12, 2009 6:49 PM Name this insect? Dinu 16 Oct 19, 2008 10:54 AM Red Spider about the diameter of a penny gardenwife 24 Oct 10, 2009 6:41 AM SOLVED: Phaon Crescent? prairefire 2 Aug 8, 2007 1:23 PM