Error message
Unable to fetch location details at this time.
Bee-Fly
Bombylius
35.9173, -82.301
Field Notes
Description:
This photo was taken by my mother. These two Bee-Flies were flying around attached together & then landed on her deck. I got her permission to submit it :)
All species in the genus share a similarity with the unrelated bees and bumblebees, which they mimic, possessing a thick coat of fur, with a colour ranging from yellow to orange. They can, however, be told apart from their models by the long and stiff proboscis they possess, used for probing for nectar as they fly (much like a hummingbird), by their rapid and darting flight, and by the peculiar structure of their legs.[2] As larvae, they are parasitic and infest the nests of solitary bees, consuming their food stores and grubs.[2]
Habitat:
Porch Deck in Eastern mountains of North Carolina.
Comments (8)