CLOSED: Is this a young robber fly or what?

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Sep 22, 2007

Steady flight. Sits lightly. Looking at it, I guess it is a robber fly. If it is, then which one?

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wallaby1 Lincoln, United Kingdom(Zone 8a) Sep 23, 2007

Hi Dinu, this is a Syrphid fly, but without seeing the pattern on it's back it is difficult to identify. Family Syrphidae.

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Sep 23, 2007

Some idea here?

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Sep 23, 2007

Same?

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wallaby1 Lincoln, United Kingdom(Zone 8a) Sep 23, 2007

Your second 2 pics are I assume of one insect, that is a male, your first one is a female. I'll see if I can find it, they do look to be the same species, and if there is a female around I always find a male nearby.

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wallaby1 Lincoln, United Kingdom(Zone 8a) Sep 23, 2007

Correction, it looks like your second pic is a female, it's eyes don't meet as the males do.

I have found one which is very close, except the bands on the abdomen look to be narrower than yours. Melangyna cincta.

http://www.syrphidae.de/schwebfliege-mini/Melangyna%20cincta%20-%20Buchenschwebfliege%20w04.html

http://www.syrphidae.de/schwebfliege-mini/index.html

I think it is a Melangyna species, more searching is needed.

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wallaby1 Lincoln, United Kingdom(Zone 8a) Sep 23, 2007

Epistrophe melanostoma has more of a correct abdomen shape but it doesn't seem to quite match the markings. The antennae are yellowish.

http://www.syrphidae.de/schwebfliege-einzeln/index.html

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