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Pinokio


Pinokio
Photo Information
Copyright: Tanja Almazan (sily) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 238 W: 6 N: 391] (1893)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-03-16
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon PowerShot A710 IS
Exposure: f/4, 1/250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Sily's photos [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-03-18 10:05
Viewed: 673
Points: 8
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
OK. I'm not an expert just a naturelover keen to learn about beautiful world of plants'n'bugs.
I spend hours trying to Id something I never saw in my life, I wish there was a image ID encyclopedia where at least I could be directed to something similar.
This is a hover fly, that's all I can say, it hovers on mountain feeding on one particular plant with elongated lila and pink flowers in this time of year.
If you know such ID place on the web please send me a link!!!
Thanks to good members of trek site,

Finally found ID: Bombylius discolor - Bee fly
Order: Diptera
Suborder: Brachycera
Superfamily: Asiloidea
Family: Bombyliidae

Adults generally feed on nectar and pollen, thus are pollinators of flowers. They superficially resemble bees, thus are commonly called bee flies, and this may offer the adults some protection from predators.
The larvae of the Bee-fly live parasitically in the nests of solitary bees and wasps. Bee-flies are quite mobile and can be found in a variety of grassy, flowery sunny places, darting from flower to flower to feed. They are common and widespread throughout Europe.

While bombyliids have a great variety of species, rarely are individuals of any one species abundant, and this is perhaps one of the poorest known families of insects relative to its size. There are at least 4,500 described species, and probably thousands as of yet undescribed.


This is only link I found that works in image ID on unsects but it's not so full.
www.bugguide.net
Silvio2006, Alex99 has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To batu: Thankssily 1 03-18 19:38
To Argus: Thank yousily 1 03-18 10:55
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3816 W: 190 N: 11348] (34987)
  • [2007-03-18 10:43]
  • [+]

Hello Tanja,
This is not really a hoverfly, though it does hover.
What you have captured is a Beefly (Bombylius major) that hovers over spring flowers to suck nectar with its long proboscis.
The female lays eggs haphazardly on the ground and the active larva finds a bee's nest or hive and becomes a parasite.
Sometimes the beefly needs to warm up like this one and you have taken a fairly sharp and well-composed shot.
TFS,
Regards, Ivan

  • Great 
  • batu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1059 W: 290 N: 3946] (13340)
  • [2007-03-18 12:02]
  • [+]

Hello Tanja,
you show a nice picture of
- Bombylius discolor
- Diptera, Bombyliidae
The species differs from major by the wing colour pattern. In B. major the dark pattern elements are sharply bordered. For information see:
http://www.rodeland.de/fotos/diptera/bombylius_discolor.htm
Best wishes, Peter

Hi Tanja, lovely beefly with great details, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3585 W: 143 N: 5669] (18533)
  • [2007-03-23 12:41]

Hi Tanja.
I often have met this fly in our place but I have not any photo. It is so mobile. You have pictured this insect tat so close distance and very well. I like its true colours and similar colours of the BG. Well done and TFS.
Alexei.

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