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| Bee Fly on Mexican Heather |
Winnie the Pooh searching for honey - that’s what I think of when I see this little insect
that resembles a plush Teddy bear. It’s a Bee Fly! I spotted this fuzzy, golden critter hovering
over the Mexican Heather blossoms, searching for nectar. The purple
Mexican Heather flowers, Cuphea hyssopifolia, are only about 1
cm in diameter, so you can see that the Bee Fly is smaller still. My books tell me that these tiny pollinators, family Bombyliidae, do not bite or sting, no
matter how pointy they appear. The long
proboscis is designed for sipping nectar. Bee
Fly larvae are parasites of other garden insects such as ground nesting bees
and beetles. This was the first one I’d seen. I think he is adorable.
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| Bee Fly on Mexican Heather |
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| Bee Fly on Mexican Heather - doesn't he look soft? |
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| Bee Fly: Wheeee! Coming in for a landing, Note the ant peeking from the flower. |
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| Bee Fly on Mexican Heather |
