[Syrphidae] A hoverfly dearth?

Sat, 17 Jan 2004 00:10:36 EST

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Dear All, 

I have been collecting hoverflies in Malaise traps as part of my 
undergraduate project and have now identified those I have collected. Due to the time 
constraints on this type of project, the collection period was only from late 
August to mid-November and the numbers I collected were very poor. I can partly 
attribute this to the quality of habitat I chose at the nature reserve I used 
but wondered if there was any connection with the unusually hot weather we had 
this year. Could there have been feeding restrictions for phytophagous larvae? 
Has anyone else noticed a dearth in hoverflies this year? In spite of the 
shortage of actual numbers I have, I think, a few interesting results and a record 
now for one species that according to the literature was previously 
restricted to another area. Perhaps, once I have had identification confirmed my 
results may be of interest. I intend to use Syrph the Net together with other 
sources to identify hoverfly ecological attributes and to determine which, if any, 
determine hoverfly guild structure. Due to the paucity of my actual data I will 
also be analysing data collected as part of a previous PhD thesis at a 
neighbouring site.

Kind regards,

Beverley Basquil

Oxford Brookes University
Environmental Biology

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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT  COLOR=3D"#8000ff" SIZE=3D2 P=
TSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Century Gothic" LANG=3D"0">Dear All,=
 <BR>
<BR>
I have been collecting hoverflies in Malaise traps as part of my undergradua=
te project and have now identified those I have collected. Due to the time c=
onstraints on this type of project, the collection period was only from late=
 August to mid-November and the numbers I collected were very poor. I can pa=
rtly attribute this to the quality of habitat I chose at the nature reserve=20=
I used but wondered if there was any connection with the unusually hot weath=
er we had this year. Could there have been feeding restrictions for phytopha=
gous larvae? Has anyone else noticed a dearth in hoverflies this year? In sp=
ite of the shortage of actual numbers I have, I think, a few interesting res=
ults and a record now for one species that according to the literature was p=
reviously restricted to another area. Perhaps, once I have had identificatio=
n confirmed my results may be of interest. I intend to use Syrph the Net tog=
ether with other sources to identify hoverfly ecological attributes and to d=
etermine which, if any, determine hoverfly guild structure. Due to the pauci=
ty of my actual data I will also be analysing data collected as part of a pr=
evious PhD thesis at a neighbouring site.<BR>
<BR>
Kind regards,<BR>
<BR>
Beverley Basquil<BR>
<BR>
Oxford Brookes University<BR>
Environmental Biology<BR>
<BR>
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