Diptera.info :: Identification queries :: Diptera (adults)
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 Bombylius, preparing to oviposite
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| Sundew |
Posted on 09-04-2009 23:34
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 Member Location: Berlin and Baden-Württemberg, Germany Posts: 3917 Joined: 28.07.07 |
Hi, Today I watched a nesting site of hundreds of Andrena bees, accompanied by their cuckoos. Also a Bombylius appeared and, after a long criss-cross flight, landed and stuck its abdomen tip into the sand. I learned it collects some sand to cover the sticky eggs that are thrown into the nesting holes of the bees afterwards. I also watched the Bombylius hovering over a hole but could not see if an egg was deposited. So is this Bombylius major? Unfortunately, the wings are blurred, as it did not stop buzzing. So it is not clear whether cell R1 is fully dark. Can the fly be identified nevertheless? Many thanks, Sundew Sundew attached the following image:  [173Kb] |
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| ChrisR |
Posted on 09-04-2009 23:57
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 Super Administrator Location: Reading, England Posts: 7703 Joined: 12.07.04 |
It certainly looks like B.major but I am no expert - I leave that to David.  Funnily enough, I watched a rather frustrated Bombylius major in my garden - pausing every few seconds to look at my concrete path. I guess old concrete looks like earth but I'm afraid it flew away without any dust for its eggs 
Manager of the UK Species Inventory in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum, London. |
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