Chrysotoxum bicinctum from Mossmorran

A nice wasp mimic from the southern fringes of the moss at Mossmorran

Rot-hole rat-tails

While wandering across a little-visited area of my new patch (Cullaloe Hills, NT1888) I noticed a rot-hole in a sycamore. Fortunately I was sporting gardening gloves for leaf litter sieving and a cursory dip revealed a nice Myathropa florea larva. A further investigation later revealed two more, but nothing additional.

Anasimyia contracta at Cullaloe LNR

I've found one or two mostly around the spillway but this one was further along the path

Neoascia meticulosa at Cullaloe LNR

From Marsh Marigold on the 3rd of May

Eristalis aeneus, Dalgety Bay

Around butterfly bush, though there's plenty of Sea Aster flowering in the bay rightnow

Xylota sylvarum, Dalgety Bay, Ross Plantation, 12/06/2018

Xylota sylvarum, m.
Dalgety Bay
Ross Plantation
12/06/2018

Eumerus funeralis, Dalgety Bay, 30.v.2018

Eumerus funeralis,
Dalgety Bay, Ross Plantation
NT1683
30.v.2018
NOFI: two locations in Fife
NBN: very few Scottish records shown, including none from Fife!

Not the bets pics but my 87th species of hover fly in Fife (and in NT18 I think)

Rhingia campestris

Rhingia campestris, m.
Dalgety Bay, Ross Plantation
NT1683
Very common species.

Always one of the most entertaining looking hoverflies the tongue of Rhingia is so long it has to be folded up somewhere. At nearby Cullaloe LNR this species has been recorded feeding on the flowers of almost every flowering plant there.

Dalgety Bay - Jassidophaga fasciata, Ferdinandea cuprea,

Jassidophaga fasciata, f.
Dalgety Bay, Ross Plantation
NT1683
9.v.2018
NOFI - new to Fife
NBN - scarce records, <10 Scottish

A new Big-headed Fly (Pipunculidae) was added to the county list - Jassidophaga fasciata.

The tachinid (?) with it in the photo below hasn't been ID'd.

Ferdinandea cuprea, m.
Dalgety Bay, Ross OPlantation
NT1683

10.v.2018

NOFI - one other location
NBN - scattered widely, common woodland sp.

Ferdinandea cuprea was a nice new hover fly for me in the morning sunshine today.

Dangerous small things!

ovipositor - ouch! (for piercing bugs)

Ferdinandea cuprea

Syrphus females - ribesii versus torvus

Not just hairy eyes, but also the legs and head patterns vary.

I'll try to add vitripennis to this if I remember. As I recall ribesii all yellow hind femora is a good unique character though so I suspect vitripennis may resemble torvus in that respect.

Note the distinct widow's peak on ribesii, which seems to be a "cleaner" looking fly all round.