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Melangyna barbifrons is the correct name? Thank you very much.
Slovak Republik, Terchová region on the Malá Fatra 29.03.2011.

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In males M. barbifrons the eyes are bare: in this specimen they are distinctly hairy.
This is M. lucifera: small yellow spots on tergite 2.

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This is not M. lucifera!

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Thank you very much.

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I'm starting to have doubts now. There seem to be small yellow spots on tergite 2, which would indicate M. lucifera. The spots, however, are very small. Compare, for instance, the picture of this species in this thread:
http://www.diptera.info/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=37003
The pterostigma seems to be too dark for M. lucifera and the markings on tergites 3 and 4 are not of the right shape.
So, M. quadrimaculata seems more likely.
Perhaps this is what Mr. Mielczarek was (unsuccessfully) trying to make clear by shouting "This is not M. lucifera!"?

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The situation of the early spring Melangyna is more complicated!
It is certainly not M. quadrimaculata, but it strongly resemble males of this species. The spots on the second tergit in parts of specimens are clearly visible, in some disappear completely.
Females have clear spots on the abdomen.
Species closely resembles me M. pavlovskyi in this gallery:
http://homepage2....rphin3.htm
http://homepage2....v_F600.jpg
http://homepage2....v_M600.jpg
and an example of my specimens of this Melangyna sp. in the attachments.

Lukasz

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...head

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..female

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Interesting! I had not taken into account the possible occurrence of this Eastern Palaearctic species in Slovakia!
Are your pictures of Polish specimens? Apparently you are right about the situation in Europe being more complicated. I was not aware of that. Is someone working on the taxonomy of this group?

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Photos I made ​​in the Malá Fatra region-Terchová. Photos of the Slovak specimen. Thank you very much.

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Another question on Melangyna.

I have caught a female M. quadrimaculata with a very yellow scutellum. That is not normal, is it now ?

Any suggestions ?

(Intersex is so far the best I've got, unless this is a species complex too !)


Thanks


Theo

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Maybe you found a Parasyrphus punctulatus? There are keys to separate these cases of melanism, as you know

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Hi Andre

Don't worry, I'm not that 'bleu'.
As it turns out, most M. quadrimaculata have at least partly yellowish scutellum (W. van Steenis).
So, the books are wrong on this.

Theo

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In the pictures are the Polish specimens. I'll try to write some review of Melangyna in Poland in the near future.






Can you post image of the specimen?


Lukasz