is there an entomologist in the house?

[boxofdelights]

I know this as a "bee fly". Is it Bombylius major? What else might it be?

As to the other things I've asked your advice on recently: I cut down a lot of the weeds, but none of the phlox; I haven't heard from the weed police again, but I don't know whether my work was acceptable or they haven't done the checkup yet.

I have not succeeded in transposing the storytelling to a form anyone else can view, but I have not quite given up.

Comments

[luzula]

Bee fly seems like a good guess! Though Bombylius major seems to have a dark band on its wings which I can't see on your photo, so it doesn't look like that one? There are also hoverflies that mimic bees, so it could very well be one of those, too. You need to see the pattern of the "veins" on their wings to tell the different Diptera groups apart--hoverflies have a "false vein" running through the others.

[boxofdelights]

You're right, it doesn't have that band. It doesn't look like any of the hoverfly photos I've found online. My best guess now is Systoechus vulgaris.

[kaberett]

Tweeting at my favourite entomologist!

[jinian]

Oh, those are adorable. We don't have them here. You can also try posting to Bugguide.net -- there's a "please ID this" section that'll at least get you to genus most of the time. More pics the better, their faces/antennae would probably help.

[boxofdelights]

Aren't they though? And you could pet them without getting stung! My best guess now is Systoechus vulgaris.

[centuryplant]

I don't think it's Bombylius major, but probably something else in the bee fly family.

[boxofdelights]

Thank you: with that site and bugguide.net, I'm thinking Systoechus vulgaris.