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Photo#128986
Hornet, Yellow Jacket, Etc. - Milesia virginiensis

Hornet, Yellow Jacket, Etc. - Milesia virginiensis
Washington Parish, Louisiana, USA
July 20, 2007
Please tell me whether this is a hornet, yellow jacket, bee, or type of fly. I am leaning to yellow jacket, but am unsure from the posted pictures.

Moved
Moved from Flies.

Beautiful photo too!
Beautiful photo too!

None of the above:-)
This is, believe it or not, a syrphid fly in the genus Milesia. Very large for a syrphid. Most of the extraordinarily diverse flower flies (Syrphidae) are much smaller, but nearly all are amazing mimics of wasps or bees. We have all been fooled by them at one time or another:-)

 
Read carefully
ampro wrote:
"Please tell me whether this is a hornet, yellow jacket, bee, or type of fly."
I would include "a syrphid fly" as a "type of fly"

 
syrphid fly in the genus Milesia
Many thanks, Eric. It surely fooled me, though mimics in the insect world don't surprise me.

Again, thanks for the identification.

Tom

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