The HoverflySpotter logo

What Hoverfly species are to be found in the logo below?

The site has been up a few months now and let me start by thanking all those people that have visited, followed, subscribed and even re-visited, it really does help the channel grow and inspire me to produce more content. If you have not followed or subscribed, please consider it.

🎄 Something a bit lighter today, a little Christmas challenge. 🎅

For those of you who have noticed the logo to the site or the little favicon icon specific to the internet page on your desktop, you might have been wondering what hoverfly species this is…. Well, its no particular species at all it is a mishmash of many species all amalgamated into one.

 I wonder if you can guess which species……. Answers below… 📝

The thorax – this is the classic footballer stripy shirt of the Tiger Hoverflies (Helophilus) or the Stripeback Hoverflies (Parhelophilus) tribes. You might have gone with Fedinandea cuprea or Anasiymia but those are not yellow in colour, so half a point if you choose those. ✅ ❌

The scutellum – this is a yellow half circle with a black centre – the inspiration for this would be the Spearhorns (Chrysotoxum) tribe, the exception being Two-banded Spearhorn (Chrysotoxum bicinctum) which only has a black scutellum. You could also have had Stripe-backed Fleckwing (Dasysrphus albostriatus).  ✅ ❌

The abdomen – is made up of three parts each called tergites:

Tergite 1 – The idea behind this one was Lunuled Aphideater (Eupeodes luniger) but it might have come out more like Yellow-footed Bristleside (Parasyrphus annulatus).  ✅ ❌

Tergite 2 – The yellow band with with a thin yellow top the Marmalade (Episyrphus balteatus) was the inspiration for this.  ✅ ❌

Tergite 3 - These were a representation of a hockey stick of Yellow-clubbed Glasswing (Scaeva selentica) rather than the commoner garden one White-clubbed Glasswing (Scaeva pyrastri) which have much whiter hockey sticks.  
✅ ❌

The eyes being bright red in colour was taken from a male Dark-winged Wrinklehead (Chrysogaster solstitalis), but the eye shape is any typical male, Furry Dronefly (Eristalis intricarius) was the model. 👀

The antennae were taken from the Spearhorns (Chrysotoxum), but I regret not using the plumehorns or putting the snout of the Rhingia tribe as these are some of my favourites. ✅ ❌

The legs are all dark and the idea for this came from Blacklet tribe - Cheilosia which is a large group and have most of the black legs species but if you have a different one, I won’t hold it against you. Again, I regret not doing the front leg of the Sedgesitter (Platycheirus albimanus) or the back leg of Narcissus Bulb Hoverfly (Merodon equestris) ✅ ❌

Finally, the wing is that of Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) ✅ ❌

How many did you get? 

Score out of ten, be honest now…… 🏆

Would you have included any different species into your hoverfly design, let me know in the comments below? 

I think it’s fascinating and incredible that there are so many different designs within a group of flies, which is why it makes them so attractive to study.

As it is coming up to Christmas please may I wish you all a 🎄Happy and Merry Christmas 🧑‍🎄and I  look forward to you hopefully revisiting the site in the new year.

P.S This logo is slightly different how many species can you spot in this one? 🔍