State of the Syrphs - 1-Jan-2024

Happy New Year everyone!

Who will get iNatUK's first hoverfly of 2024!? Sugar solution at the ready!

As well as the usuals, I'll update about the 12 Syrphs.

Identifications

A massive reduction in the NeedsID pile this month is really encouraging. The biggest fallers are those that have been in the 12 Syrphs already. Platycheirus and Melanostoma remain stubbornly high, but they're coming up in the final days of 12 Syrphs.

All in all, 41 genera are down, 8 up (but not by much), and 21 unchanged. The biggest % fallers (with >50 obs to start with) are Syrphus (-84%), Sphaerophoria (-76%), Xanthogramma (-45%), Merodon (-36%), Meliscaeva (-33%), Scaeva (-28%), Xylota (-26%), Eristalis (-23%), Epistrophe (-23%), Eupeodes (-22%), Melangyna (-20%). Some really impressive numbers in there - especially the demolition of Syrphus :-)

A large part of that fall is due to the 12 Syrphs of Christmas: here is the reduction in the 2023 Needs ID pile based on the categories for that event (New Year's Day is, of course, the 8th day of Christmas):

Annotations

There were 242 new observations uploaded in December, and the rate of annotation is exceptionally good.

A big shout out to those of you who kept on blitzing the life stage observations in December - amazing work! The remainder are the old research grade observations with obscured locations that need to remain left alone!! Please no-one be tempted to do them :). The total proportion of sex annotations continues to climb.

Obscured Locations

The proportion of obscured locations in December's new observations remains pleasingly low. Thanks to all of you who have made the switch to pinned locations.

What to look out for this year

I'm hoping to produce some articles during this year to help us increase the diversity of hoverflies we find. For each month I'll have a go at indicating which less-observed species are at their peak, and any tips I can locate on tracking them down. So watch out for that. I'm not ready to do January yet - some species do fly on mild January days - I have seen Episyrphus balteatus and Eristalis tenax on New Year's Day before :-)

Hope you have a great 2024!

All data compiled on 31-Dec-2023

Posted on December 31, 2023 08:38 PM by matthewvosper