Posted by LordV on 07-05-2011 07:42
#1
This smallish fly around 6mm body length was intently following a nomada bee around which in turn was looking for miner bee nests. Taken yesterday South coast UK.
Brian V.
Posted by LordV on 07-05-2011 09:21
#3
Thanks Chris.
Only reason I thought it might be a tachinid was it looked as if it was aiming to parasitise the Nomada bee - Gather the Miltogramminae are Kleptoparasites of ground dwelling bees or wasps.
Wonder if it was interested in the nomada bee, miner bees or both
Brian v.
Posted by ChrisR on 07-05-2011 09:34
#4
Yes, I'm not sure which species they were going for but the classic behaviour is to find them flying around the holes of ground-nesting bees and looking a bit "suspicious"! ;)
On a more morphological note, they have red eyes and stripes on the thorax and a strongly concave, elongate R5 cell so they scream "Sarcophagidae".
Edited by ChrisR on 07-05-2011 09:36