Subject: A stunning Syrphid for your enjoyment
Geographic location of the bug: Silverdale, WA
Date: 07/14/2018
Time: 04:48 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: No real question, just a lovely image I snapped of a Syrphidn or Flower fly/hover fly (your guess is as good as mine on a proper species ID).
Enjoy, and keep up the awesome work!
How you want your letter signed: Bug aficionado
Dear Bug aficionado,
Most Flies in the order Diptera have a single pair of wings, though some species are wingless. At any rate, no Flies have two pairs of wings, which is the physical characteristic shared by other winged insects. This is NOT a Syrphid Fly. It is a Wool Carder Bee in the genus Anthidium. According to BugGuide: “Females collect down from pubescent plants and use it to line nest.” We cannot provide a definitive species name to your individual.