Bombylius major

Today's the day ……………………… for a wee, hairy beastie

Look what was flying round inside our conservatory this morning?

I thought it was a bee at first - but there was something about it that wasn't quite right.  And when I got up close and personal and saw that rapier-like proboscis, I knew it was something completely different.  I did think about consulting the expert - but in the end, it was Will that found out what it was.

So it is, in fact, a bee fly - a strange looking insect with its furry body and patterned wings. Apparently, the long proboscis is used for drinking nectar and thankfully the fly is totally harmless.  Well, that is unless you're an actual bee or a wasp, because its larvae eat the larvae of bees and wasps in their nests.

I've set it free now to go off and do some important pollinating work ……………..