Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => Other Pollinators => Topic started by: Mikey N.C. on March 19, 2017, 08:21:26 am

Title: Little ones.
Post by: Mikey N.C. on March 19, 2017, 08:21:26 am
Was out yesterday look at Cleveland pear trees and seen these little ones.
Anybody know what they are ? Now the flowers are about 1/2" in dia. So these bees are about 3/16" long.
(https://s15.postimg.cc/o2yuo6dkn/0318171634a.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/o2yuo6dkn/)

(https://s9.postimg.cc/fbuub1463/0318171634.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/fbuub1463/)

(https://s13.postimg.cc/osuhl54sj/0318171614.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/osuhl54sj/)

(https://s2.postimg.cc/sekbqm9vp/0318171632a.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/sekbqm9vp/)
Title: Re: Little ones.
Post by: Perry on March 19, 2017, 10:17:38 am
Not sure what they are, although the bee in the third pic looks like it might be an old honey bee. ???
Title: Re: Little ones.
Post by: Jen on March 19, 2017, 02:30:46 pm

Beautiful insect!
Title: Re: Little ones.
Post by: riverbee on March 20, 2017, 06:04:46 pm
not sure mikey, but these appear to be some type of 'hover fly', these are honey bee and wasp look a likes. drone fly, flower fly, many common names.

look up 'drone fly, Eristalis tenax' and also 'flower fly wasp (Helophilus pendulus )', or 'Syrphid Flies'...... these are of the 'syrphid or Syrphidae (Taxonomic Classification). (for north caroliina) images and articles.

the drone fly can look like a honey bee and perhaps an old honey bee, as perry mentioned.   what caught my eye was the first picture, the distinct coloring, hairless, and wing structure.

i found this real quick from north carolina state university department of entomology on the hover fly:
Hover Flies (http://www4.ncsu.edu/~dorr/Insects/Predators/Hover_Fly/hover_fly.html)

google university of images of flower fly wasp (helophilus pendulus):

Flower Fly Wasp ( Heliophilus pendulus ) (https://www.google.com/search?q=flower+fly+wasp+(+Helophilus+pendulus+).&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjYtenFiebSAhVl64MKHZQAA4gQsAQIHA&biw=1467&bih=615)

google university of images of drone fly, Eristalis tenax north carolina:

Drone Fly , Eristalis tenax north carolina (https://www.google.com/search?q=drone+fly,+Eristalis+tenax&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjPyoLxhObSAhWIy4MKHbCnB34Q_AUICCgB&biw=1467&bih=615#tbm=isch&q=drone+fly,+Eristalis+tenax+north+carolina&*)

let us know!