EAST SUFFOLK HOVER-FLIES
53
frequent in woodland, and on July 12th, 1956, I took the striking X. sylvarum Linn, in Fen Wood, and saw another there the next year on July 4th. The SERICOMYIINAE are with us as Sericomyia silentis Harris, with its wasp-like stripes. It was in Fen Wood on Tulv 4th and 18th, 1957. The CHEILOSIINAE, are less striking than most Syrphidae, though Ferdinanden cuprea Scopoli. at once attracted my attention at Haiesworth on August 13th, 1951 ;—I have not seen it since. Chriosia illustrata Harris, a handsome fly, occurs from June to September, and other less conspicuous Chilosia species such as C. paganus Meig., C. impresso Loew. and C. antiqua Meig., I find also. Rhingia campestris Meig. is very common in May and June, and even in September, and Neoasciapodagrica Fab., hovers in the shade below branches and is difficult to see. The CHRYSOTOXINAE I find sometimes, several species are the best mimics of the common wasp that I know, and so resemble each other, that I can definitely record only Chrysotoxum bicinctum Linn, which is darker, from Framlingham, August 7th, 1952. The SYRPHINAE are friends of the gardener, because their larvae consume vast quantities of aphids. Syrphus balteatus Degeer. is very common in late summer, but I have never seen it before June 9th. Presumably aphidivorous larvae cannot thrive tili late Spring, when the greenfly suddenly multiply faster than byrphinae can. But soon the Hover-flies catch u p with the aphids, and keep the upper hand for the rest of the summer, a more satsfactory balance of nature for the gardener. Syrphus corollae Fab. was extremely abundant this August, but not so in September, when S. vitripennis Meig. replaced it. Platychirus manicatus Meig. and Sphaerophoria scripta Linn, are common, also very many other members of this sub-family. Xanthogramma pedissequum Harris I had at Haiesworth in midsummer, 1951, a specimen of Pyrophaena granditarsa Foster I have a female this August 28th, and of Paragus tibialis Fallen, a female this June 13th, irom Aldeburgh and Thorpeness respectively. NOTE. Mr. George's discovery of Volucella inanis L. in Suffolk is great news indeed, and, with his discovery of Volucella zonaria, not only completes the genus for our county but brings the total ot Suffolk Syrphidae to 175 species out of a British total of 233. i his group has been quite extensively worked here for the last hundred years and so these additions are a sign of the intensive work being undertaken by Mr. George. Mr. Morley had V. wams only from the New Forest. A A