Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer, 1776)

So I've been generally avoiding posting ridiculously common and widespread species, on the basis that they're already all over the internet and you can see a thousand billion pictures of them (possibly an exaggeration) at the click of a button.

But as much as this insect is no Synagris proserpina (only female pictures on the web, only full colour pictures of (admittedly deceased) male, as far as I can tell) or Megistocera filipes filipes (only photographs of this subspecies on the web currently mine, including those featured on the Catalogue of Craneflies of the world), and by its cosmopolitan distribution, is quite un-exotic by anyone's standards,
this makes it worth it:

Next time, I'll use a full flash to escape that grainy background, but for now, I'm proud of myself.

Seeing as we've started with the photo, we may as well do the rest in reverse order:

Our un-mysterious guest today is the marmalade hoverflyotherwise known as

Episyrphus balteatus

(De Geer, 1776) 

                                                  Syrphini
                                                Syrphinae
                                              Syrphidae - previously featured: Helophilus pendulus
                                            Syrphoidea
                                          Aschiza
                                        Muscomorpha - previously featured: Diasemopsis meigenii
                                      Brachycera
                                    Diptera - previously featured: Megistocera filipes filipes,
                                  Antliophora - previously featured: Panorpa germanica
                                Panorpida - previously featured: Zebronia phenice, Anthocharis cardamines and Laelia cf robusta
                              Endopterygota - previously featured: Otiorhynchus atroapterus, Synagris proserpina nyassae, Hagenomyia tristis, Anthia fornasinii, Melolontha melolontha and Demetrias atricapillus
                            Eumetabola - previously featured: Pephricus, Anoplocnemis curvipes,
                          Neoptera - previously featured: Sybilla, Cyathosternum prehensile,
                        Manopterygota - previously featured: Pseudagrion hageni,
                      Pterygota
                    Dicondylia
                  Insecta
                Hexapoda
              Arthropoda - previously featured: Enoplognatha ovata, Ligia oceanica and Dicranopalpus ramosus.
            Ecdysozoa
          Protostomia
        Nephrozoa - previously featured: Chalcophaps indica, Lygodactylus capensis, Thelotornis capensis oatesii and Hipposideros vittatus.
      Bilateralia
    Eumetazoa
  Animalia
Eukaryota

Note - 'previously featured' lists are links to other pages on this blog posted prior to this page, and species are listed at the most recent node that appears in their own taxonomy. It does not mean that the taxon no longer includes those species. Just in case it wasn't clear. 

One final tidbit, just so you have some idea of what this insect looks like beyond its massive eyes: 

Note 1: 

In the light of one of my recent visitors having found the blog by searching 'What does Episyrphus mean?' in Google (I believe), Syrphus in this instance refers to the common European hoverflies in the genus 'Syrphus', the original meaning of which is unknown to me, but I suspect Fabricius derived it from the latin for up (~sursum) and possibly the noun for "flight" (~fuga), or possibly the 'Phus' was just to be in keeping with existing names, creating a noun form. The 'Epi' means after, or in association with, as in 'Epilogue', and 'Epinephrine' (After-speech and Next-to-kidney, respectively). As such, Epiyrphus means Next to Syrphus, which itself means Up-flier. Probably. 

 

Laelia cf. robusta, Janse, 1915

I'm not dead, honest! Just working for minimum wage... so taking as many hours as possible to earn enough to pay rent.

Hopefully you've noticed the cf. (confer, click for wiki to tell you more, Latin, common abbreviation typically meaning that it's similar to the names species, but may not in fact be it). This is largely because the genus Laelia is huge, and I don't have the time just currently to search for an rule out every species. 

However, on the basis that the Laelia moths I have looked at all look quite variable, and in most moths external appearance is quite an important identifying feature, I'm going to venture reasonable confidence that this is in fact Laelia robusta.

So, without further ado, on with the show: 

Eukaryota
  Animalia
    Eumetazoa
      Bilateralia
        Nephrozoa
          Protostomia
            Ecdysozoa
              Arthropoda
                Hexapoda
                  Insecta
                    Dicondylia
                      Pterygota
                        Manopterygota
                          Neoptera
                            Eumetabola
                              Endopterygota
                                Panorpida
                                  Amphiesmenoptera
                                    Lepidoptera
                                      Glossata
                                        Neolepidoptera
                                          Heteroneura
                                            Ditrysia
                                              Cossina
                                                Bombycina
                                                  Noctuoidea
                                                    Erebidae
                                                      Lymantriinae
                                                        Orgyiini

Laelia robusta

Janse, 1915

and here it is:   

 I apologise for the rather characterless portrait - it had a special talent for hiding its face with those spindly forelegs and a vast amount of facial hair. Photographed in Leopard's Hill, Lusaka, Zambia, in March 2013.

NOTES: Species is suggested based on comparison to images of alleged L. robusta, here (a flickr image, captured and presumably identified by Geologist Nigel Voaden), and, by its being featured on the apparently reputable Afromoths page for this species, reliably identified).