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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Asiloidea » Bee Flies (Bombyliidae) » Bombyliinae » Bombyliini » Bombylius » Subgenus Bombylius (Bombylius Subgenus Bombylius) » Greater Bee Fly (Bombylius major)
Photo#15254
Bee fly hovering over territory - Bombylius major - male
Copyright © 2005 Cotinis

Bee fly hovering over territory - Bombylius major - Male
Parkwood, Durham County, North Carolina, USA
April 16, 2005
View from the front of a Bee Fly hovering over leaf litter. Shot with natural light, 100 mm macro lens, 1/500 second, f6.7. This is presumably a male hovering over a territory, waiting to ambush females--see comments below. The photos below were taken at the same location earlier in the day, not necessarily of the same individual:

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Contributed by Cotinis on 20 April, 2005 - 12:43am
Last updated 3 June, 2006 - 6:35am

Territoriality
Male Bombylius hover over territories in which females fly into to feed on flowers or oviposit in bee holes. The males essentially ambush the females and mate with them. The females are not attracted to the males, so this is not a display for the female.
… Neal Evenhuis, 3 June, 2006 - 2:14am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
I've changed the captions and the photo titles to agree, I hope, with the biology. It is great to see you checking in on BugGuide, I look forward to seeing your contributions.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina
… Cotinis, 3 June, 2006 - 6:36am login or register to post comments

Impressive!
Nice shot Patrick!
… Tony DiTerlizzi, 20 April, 2005 - 9:00am login or register to post comments

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