Subject: Beefly? What kind?
Location: Voldstream bc
May 18, 2016 11:28 pm
Location: coldstream, bc
Date: May 18, 2016
Detail: seen everywhere on our 5 acre hobby farm. I keep rescuing them from out of our hot greenhouses. Havent seen these fellers in our area before.
We have normally lots of polination plants and wild bees.
Thanks.
ER
Signature: in kind
Dear ER,
Bee Flies, like other flies, have a single pair of wings. Your insect has two sets of wings. It is a Bee Hawk Moth, Hemaris thetis, which we identified on the Sphingidae of the Americas site where it states: “Adults mimic bumblebees and are quite variable, both geographically and seasonally. The wings are basically clear, with dark brown to brownish-orange veins, bases and edges. The thorax is golden-brown to dark greenish-brown. The abdomen tends to be dark (black) with 1-2 yellow segments just before the terminal end. These yellow segments are in much sharper contrast to the rest of the abdomen than in somewhat similar species. Also note the relatively narrow dark outer margin of the hindwing. Most fresh specimens also have some blue “fur” tufts highlighting the first black band on the abdomen.”
Hello Daniel,
Thank you so much for this detailed id. I am excited I have a bee hawkmoth on my property ~
Evan