#carpenter-mimic leaf-cutter bees

[whatnext10]

The Work of Bees Last Fall Leads to Beautiful Flowers Now

The Work of Bees Last Fall Leads to Beautiful Flowers Now discusses the role of last year pollinators in helping to bring us crops and wildflowers this year. It shows readers one of the many types of bees found in Florida.

Eager Bee Last fall before the first frost, the area was crazy alive with bees. There were many different types of them stocking up on nectar and pollen to get them or their hive or nest through the winter. There were lots of flowers, especially blackjacks, that time of year. This was one of many bees that were buzzing around from flower to flower not only eating, but also carrying pollen…

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Black-Shouldered Drone Fly - Eristalis dimidiata

There’s a big flower bush at the edge of my street at a 4-way intersection and every year it blossoms with hundreds of tiny white flowers. These flowers attract all sorts of customers to partake in the consumption of nectar and the occupation of pollination. Such customers include Carpenter Bees, Honeybees, Greenbottle Flies and these delightful Flies shown above. Look for the white ring bands around the abdomen for a successful identification of this Fly. Like other Hoverflies (Syrphidae), these adult Flies live out their lives by pretending to be Bees, which are unappealing targets for a meal due to their sting, while the Fly itself has no defenses short of very tactical flight abilities; they can dart around with great precision and hover in place too.

While other related Hoverflies like the Transverse Hoverfly (E. transversa) exhibit more common Bee-like colors and patterns to help fool would-be predators, this Fly strangely has darker colors. While uncommon, this may be an adaptation to mimic darker color variants of Honeybee, of which I will have a post in the future. Alternatively, this coloring may also be used to mimic Bees such as Adrenidae Bees or Leaf-Cutters. It may be a stretch, but it could be possible given the diversity of flying insects on my street during the summer, although I haven’t seen any on these flowers as of yet. In any case, these Flies seem to be successful as I saw many Flies rummaging in the bush throughout the summer, none too bothered by the other visitors. I’ll keep a closer eye on them next year to see what specie(s) they’re trying to imitate and if they have any interactions with other Hoverflies (besides the Transverse Hoverfly).

Pictures were taken on June 7, 2019 with a Samsung Galaxy S4

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Rice Stink Bug (Oebalus pugnax)

Insects on Point Lookout State Park, St. Mary's County, Maryland; Aug 21, 2017 by Jesse Christopherson

Via Flickr: bugguide.net/node/view/1430546

Potter wasp (Euodynerus hidalgo)

Carpenter-mimic Leaf-cutter Bee (Megachile xylocopoides)

Soldier beetle (Ditemnus sp.)

Rambur's Forktails (Ischnura ramburii) mating