September 22, 2009
To Bee or Not to Bee
Not to Bee. This is a flower fly, Eristalis transversa, that mimics a honey bee. Hungry birds or other predators are less likely to try to eat bee than they are to eat a fly. Flower flies are not only harmless, they are also valuable pollinators of flowers. There are more than 870 species of flower flies in North America. This fly is sipping nectar on a white aster.