Spot the difference
Firstly, these are not wasps but hoverflies. They are both males as you can tell from the close-together eyes and even though they look similar they are different species. The one on the left is a Syrphus, characterised by having long "underarm hair" or long hairs on the dorsal surface of the squama as the experts say. You'd have the examine the wings with a microscope to distinguish the species. The fly on the right is a Eupeodes corollae, another common British species. I thought it was another Syrphus but Ian Andrews (an expert in the Facebook UK Hoverflies group) explained that Syrphus have a fringe of long yellow and dark hairs around the edge of the abdomen on Tergites 3 and 4 (ie the tops of the 3rd and 4th segments of the body), whereas Eupeodes like this one have just a very short, dark fringe. I'm sure there are other difference too. Can you spot them?
Spot the difference
Firstly, these are not wasps but hoverflies. They are both males as you can tell from the close-together eyes and even though they look similar they are different species. The one on the left is a Syrphus, characterised by having long "underarm hair" or long hairs on the dorsal surface of the squama as the experts say. You'd have the examine the wings with a microscope to distinguish the species. The fly on the right is a Eupeodes corollae, another common British species. I thought it was another Syrphus but Ian Andrews (an expert in the Facebook UK Hoverflies group) explained that Syrphus have a fringe of long yellow and dark hairs around the edge of the abdomen on Tergites 3 and 4 (ie the tops of the 3rd and 4th segments of the body), whereas Eupeodes like this one have just a very short, dark fringe. I'm sure there are other difference too. Can you spot them?