Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Bee Fly

Isn’t this just magnificent? A Greater Bee Fly (Bombylius major).I’ve never seen one in Brooklyn; I suspect we don’t have enough forest. This was in da Bronx. (And yes, country cousins, the Bronx has great forest still.)
Even though this proboscis looks fearsome, it is just for sucking nectar from deep flowers. What makes this bee mimic fly especially interesting is that the female flicks her eggs into the ground nests of Ardrena (and other?) genus bees. Her larvae then parasitize the bee larvae. The world is full of wonders.

mthew

One response to “Bee Fly”

  1. Chuck McAlexander

    Every time I tell someone about parasitic behavior in wasps or other bugs there is an instant “eeuw” response of repulsion. I wonder how they would react if an accurate description of our harvest of chickens, pigs, cows and fish were presented to them. If you’re gonna eat it, you gotta own it. All of it.

    Reply

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