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Old 27-07-2006, 10:43 AM
echinosum echinosum is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Feb 2006
Location: Chalfont St Giles
Posts: 1,340
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VX
Just today and yesterday I have seen numerous flies, maybe a little larger
than a hoverfly but otherwise similar, but with bright yellow bodies and
black wings (seen at rest). These have all been apparently laying eggs, or
doing sometthig very similar with their rear end, in or on the stems of
roses- all but one of these were on young succulent rose stems. They spend
several minutes doing whatever they are doing, then fly away.
If they are that still, perhaps you could take a photo? Colour doesn't help very much in identifying insects, it's shape that matters, and that is rather hard to describe in words unless you already know enough insect anatomy to know (roughly) what it is.

You say they look like hoverflies. Do they also behave like hoverflies (ie. hover)? If so, I'd guess hoverflies. There are many different kinds and they come in different sizes and colours and shapes. Hoverflies is good - they eat aphids even better than ladybirds.

I suggest buying a book on insects, one that describes the different groups and their basic anatomies. It doesn't take long to be able to identify the anatomical differences between the different groups of insects, and it's very interesting. A whole new world of wildlife opens up.