Greater Bee Fly (Bombylius major) - 20230620-02

Sue Milks
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Greater Bee Fly (Bombylius major) - 20230620-02
Greater Bee Fly (Bombylius major) - 20230620-02

The greater bee fly is a parasitic bee mimic fly and is the most common type of fly within the Bombylius genus. The fly derives its name from its close resemblance to bumblebees and are often mistaken for them.

It exhibits a unique flight behavior known as "yawing" and plays a role in general pollination, without preference of flower types. The fly does not bite, sting, or spread disease. However, the fly uses this mimicry of bumblebees to its own advantage, allowing close access to host solitary bee and wasp nests in order to deposit its eggs. After hatching, the larvae find their way into the nests to parasitically feed on the grubs. (Wikipedia)
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My first ever Bee Fly! I had no idea that such creatures even existed, but there it was, feeding on the Viper's-Bugloss. It holds on to the flower with its front legs and sticks its long, straight proboscis right into the flower to get to the nectar. Nature is wonderful :-)

Burnt Lands Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. June 2023.

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Taken on: June 20, 2023
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Camera: Canon EOS R6, f/11.0, 1/640 sec, 800mm, ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Canon EOS R6
Lens: RF800mm F11 IS STM
Aperture: f/11.0
Exposure Time: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Focal Length: 800mm
ISO: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No Flash
Exposure Program: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Color Space: Uncalibrated
Software: Adobe Photoshop 2023 Macintosh
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