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Bee FliesWhat’s this insect?
June 23, 2010
Hi, This guy was near my pond this morning. I live in Montgomery, AL.
There were 2, and they can hover, but he doesn’t look like a hover fly.
He is probably about an inch in length.
Thank you.
Mary
Montgomery, Alabama
Tiger Bee Fly
Hi Mary,
The Tiger Bee Fly, Xenox tigrinus, like the one in your photo is an impressive insect. According to BugGuide, the food of the adult is unknown, but “An adult has been observed on damp mud, lapping up fluids” which could explain why it was near your pond. BugGuide also indicates: “Larva is a parasite of Carpenter Bees Xylocopa.“
Thanks. I thought they were pretty cool. We have some Carpenter bees that my husband wants to dispose of, but I won’t let him. Maybe these will do it for him.
I am going to teach Life Science and Biology next fall and will have my students do a photographic insect collection. I was practicing when these two Tiger bee flies came up.
What fun. I am going to try to do the identifying myself from now on. I bought a guide.
THANKS again for the quick response.
Mary
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