All summer long I've been seeing these "fly bee's" and didn't have any idea what they were. They react like flies when you get close to a plant, by jumping off and moving. Where as bee's don't give a hoot about you and continue on doing whatever they are doing. Also the markings on these fly bee's are similar to an Italian honey bee but they have giant eyes like a fly. I was most confused because I have never noticed them before.
My mother did some sleuthing and found a wonderful website about these guys. They are called hover flies and that is the perfect name for them! Garden Safari has great information and pictures about hover flies. The pictures are even better than Jacob got with our little camera.
They seem like excellent little pollinators hopping from flower to flower. All of the pictures can be clicked on for a bigger image.
Very cool. I've never seen anything with eyes like that. Wow! You can see pollen on one or two of them. They seem to be doing their work. What is that cute little stalk of flowers it is sitting on?
ReplyDeleteIt's a spearmint flower. The bees just love the heck out of it!
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