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BugGuide Gathering
Smoky Mountains
University of Tennessee Biological Field Station
August 8-10, 2008
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Photos from the last gathering (Minnesota 2007)

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Photo#123780
Narcissus bulb fly - Merodon equestris

Narcissus bulb fly - Merodon equestris
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
July 2, 2007
This species looks like an evolutionary intermediate between a Syrphid fly and a Robber fly. Does anyone know if this is an anecdotal observation or if there is truth to this evolutionary link?
Also, confirmation of the species Merodon equestris would be appreciated.

It is not an evolutionary int
It is not an evolutionary intermediate in an evolutionary sense, but Merodon and several robber flies are looking like bees to avoid predation from birs, reptiles etc, because they fear the bee sting...
That is why all these flies dress up like bees - they are sheeps in the wolf-skins...

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