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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#16896
Bee Fly - Bombylius major
Copyright © 2005 Tony DiTerlizzi

Bee Fly - Bombylius major
Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA
May 8, 2005
Size: ~7 mm
There were quite a few of these staked out in the sunnier, bare patches of a hill near our house. I followed them for some time before I was able to get a decent shot. This one is feeding on Bluets (Hedyotis caerulea).

Images of this individual: tag all
Bee Fly - Bombylius major Bee Fly - Bombylius major
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Contributed by Tony DiTerlizzi on 9 May, 2005 - 9:53pm
Last updated 21 May, 2005 - 10:26pm

B. major?
Are you sure this is B. major? Something about the wing looks a bit funny to me - it looks kind of brown, rather than the typical black. I guess this could be a photographic effect though. Did you see the wing pattern at rest? Great shot, by the way.
… Joel Kits, 9 May, 2005 - 10:27pm login or register to post comments

 
Wing pattern...
Hey Joel,

I did get quite a few shots of it at rest and the wing patterning perfectly matches the other images in the guide (I think they are just hard to see here, because they are moving so fast!). I opted for a behavioral shot over the others, since there were plenty of those already posted:)
… Tony DiTerlizzi, 10 May, 2005 - 8:47am login or register to post comments

 
Sounds good
If you saw the wing pattern, than it must be right. I don't know why the wings would look funny, but it may just be a lighting thing. Compare with Patrick's image (1), where you can see more of a blackish colour in the blurred wings. Interesting!
… Joel Kits, 10 May, 2005 - 4:25pm login or register to post comments

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