Bee-fly looking for celandine nectar
I heard a familiar buzzing sound of an insect as I walked through the grassland but couldn't locate its source. Then a reflected flash of its wing revealed this bee-fly pottering around the celandine's vivid yellow flowers. I followed it from flower to flower but found it hard to balance the light, whilst trying to catch it in flight. This turned out to be my best shot, although the close-up details whenever it alighted on a flower were delightful. The flight wins today.
Bombylius major is a parasitic bee mimic fly. B. major is the most common type of fly within the Bombylius genus deriving its name from its close resemblance to bumblebees and are often mistaken for them.
B. major exhibits a unique flight behavior known as 'yawing' and plays a role in general pollination, without preference of flower types.The fly does not bite, sting, or spread disease. However, the fly uses this mimicry of bumblebees to its own advantage, allowing close access to host solitary bee and wasp nests in order to deposit its eggs. After hatching, the larvae find their way into the nests to parasitically feed on the grubs.
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