Hi there, I was walking around today when I noticed an odd sound from a bush, I though it was a quiet frog squeal at first, but then noticed it was coming from the leaves. As I move around I noticed hoverflies (Syrphus or a lookalike) that were flying around and sitting down on the leaves, and when…

My best guess is a Syrphus, black/yellow striped body but lanky rather than round. I’m in the East Midlands and was in a wooded area near a local nature reserve.

So, was this sound any different from their wing sound in flight?

Yeah, it wasn’t a buzz of any kind that I’ve heard before, like I said my first though was a frog squealing. It was like listening to a bush full of balloons letting air out slowly, - just more quiet.

Here they state they can make sounds Spilomyia also makes a high-pitched buzzing sound if disturbed, hypothesized to be an attempt to sound, as well as look, like a wasp. https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/20/2/396/219124 The distinct high-pitched acoustic response to attack had a signifi…

Were their wings still moving when this sound was made? I wonder if the leaves were amplifying the vibration like a sounding board - or perhaps an effect of the downdraft of the wings on the leaves. If by ‘lanky’ you mean long-bodied then Sphaerophoria is perhaps an option. (Syrphus itself though …

They did not appear to be moving their wings, and they only did the sound when sitting on the leaves. They also tended to fly off if I got too close so couldn’t get a proper look.

Next time I wander through an East Midlands LNR I shall pay attention to the wheezing Syrphines! Perhaps they’re still recovering from the epic heat…! (I did get a picture of a Syrphus that was flying at 39-point-something °C on Tuesday - not uploaded yet)

Have you checked the article I linked? Was their wing position similar to that?

It’s possible, but I honestly don’t remember clearly enough. I don’t remember them ‘t-posing’ with their wings in any case. Sort of regretting not taking my phone out for photos/vids because I was just too busy trying to figure out what I was hearing…

[UK] Do hoverflies make noises?

Nature Talk

elpatitojuan2 July 21, 2022, 1:39pm 2

Do you kind of know what species of hoverfly they were? Where do you live? The location can also be helpful.

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[UK] Do hoverflies make noises?

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