March 8, 2005 - let's hover a while

We've already featured the wonderful Greater Bee Fly (Bombylius major) in these pages, but with the new camera we're getting much better looks.


Here's another look, nice and close. These insects are now among my favorite species, because they do cool things.

For example, they hover in one spot (they're plentiful around the Long Valley and Five Fingers trails in the meadows), allowing for photos like this one. In fact, some will hover nearby and seem to check you out when they first become aware of your presence.

This one was patrolling a particular region of air space. Whenever another insect would get near, it would immediately chase it off and return to patrolling. Normally these insects fly silently, but in chase mode they will make their wings buzz menacingly. They may even buzz you, but fear not – these flies are stingless; they have evolved to look like bumblebees, possibly to frighten away predators.

Here's another Syrphid fly, or hover fly - but this time we see one in mid-air.

And a native bee looks for lunch in the blossoms of a Pajaro Manzanita.