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MEMBER BULLETIN BOARD => PHOTO PAGE - MEMBER PHOTOS & BEE-MOVIES HERE! => Topic started by: BEE C on March 15, 2007, 06:31:18 am

Title: What species?
Post by: BEE C on March 15, 2007, 06:31:18 am
Does anyone know what kind of bee this is?  I couldn't find it in my little field guide of insects book.
(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid224/pee8b9293bd04c453df3ee718cbd14de3/ea92391d.jpg)
Title: Re: What species?
Post by: likes2grill on March 15, 2007, 08:25:12 am
I think its a flower fly and not a bee. It looks like its this one here in this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hoverfly_on_flower.JPG but its hard to tell.
Title: Re: What species?
Post by: Understudy on March 15, 2007, 08:52:43 am
It looks like Halictidae. You asked for a species name.  :)

The more common name is sweat bee.
Read more here:
http://www.treknature.com/gallery/South_America/Argentina/photo72158.htm (http://www.treknature.com/gallery/South_America/Argentina/photo72158.htm)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweat_bee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweat_bee)

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: What species?
Post by: Cindi on March 15, 2007, 10:20:58 am
Steve, I dunno.  It looks to me like a yellowjacket. 

I think the first ident question would be:  what is the length of this insect?  Brendhan said sweat bee, but I think that they are tiny, 1/4-1/2 inch, so do you remember how big it was?  Best of the great day.  Cindi
Title: Re: What species?
Post by: abejaruco on March 15, 2007, 03:59:46 pm
I think it is a flower fly too. The head, the wings, a fly like these with different colour.

(http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/5697/moscasdv8.png)
Title: Re: What species?
Post by: Kathyp on March 15, 2007, 06:49:20 pm
abejaruco, yours are "friendly" flies??   :-D

i have some of those yellow things around too.  they look like a really small yellowjacket?  i always figured they were just some kind of small bee.  they like the dandelions and daisies here.
Title: Re: What species?
Post by: Mici on March 15, 2007, 07:07:20 pm
i always figured they were just some kind of small bee.
that's what they want you to think ;)

1:0 for mother nature, camouflage works!
Title: Re: What species?
Post by: BEE C on March 16, 2007, 05:14:36 am
Thanks everyone, heres another close up.  Cindi, it was the size of a housefly, with big googly eyes.  I still don't recognize it in the links though. 
(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid224/p31bf7d7f6d47493582ddd83a5ec91f3c/ea922e66.jpg)
Title: Re: What species?
Post by: Cindi on March 16, 2007, 11:12:11 am
Steve, right now I see it much more clearly.  I have seen it so many times too, just thought it an interesting insect.

Ever seen the syrphid flies?  They look kind of like that.  They resemble the wasps actually.  You will know the syrphid when I show the picture that I am going to post.  The syrphid flies are funny, the look like a wasp, but they come and they hover in front of you.  I am sure that they are looking to see if there are any bugs on you, they are great bad bug predators, they are about the size of a house fly. I am off to find the picture of the syrphid.  Hold on.

(http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/801/syrphidflysmallva3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)


Now wouldn't you say they look pretty similar.  This syrphid fly was on my fragrant honeysuckle that grows up my bedroom patio.  It is a beneficial and is an amazing little fly.  Best of the best day. Cindi
Title: Re: What species?
Post by: BEE C on March 16, 2007, 03:32:49 pm
wow they are similar.  I need to get a better guide book.  Fascinates me the evolutionary throwbacks that I have seen for the first time here.
Title: Re: What species?
Post by: Cindi on March 17, 2007, 10:49:24 am
Steve, now this syrphid fly is an interesting little bug.  I will be trying to get a picture of one when it is hovering in front of my face this summer.  They always come to my bacopa that is in the hanging baskets on my porch, they like to drink nectar.  That is pretty obvious because the honeysuckle emits lots of nectar and the syrphids are always on these too.

I honestly do not know why there would be any draw for this little insect to hover in front of a human face.  But they do, that is one of their distinguishing characters.  They do not fly away for quite sometime, just hover, like a hummingbird does.  They will sometimes spend probably close to about 20 seconds looking at you.  When I see them floating around my porch, I can be assured that they are looking for bad bugs and are getting many aphids.  Yeah!!!!  bring on these species, they are as welcomed as the beautiful ladybugs.  Have the best of a great day.  Cindi

Here is a link I found to the syrphid fly, aka hover fly
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/NE/syrphid_flies.html