??? fly, wasp, aphid, red firefly; It has a red thorax. Redish orang legs. 2 black lacelike wings, and a black body with irradescent blue markings.
December 24, 2009
I would like to know what this beautiful bug I saw hovering around my Buddleia is. We live in an area with a wide assortment of bugs, many of which I can easily identify, but this one had me stumped. I took this picture the first week of November. Sometimes hurricanes blow in strange things, so I wasn’t sure if this one just drifted in from a storm. I first noticed it hovering around my window, going up and down like a wasp or carpenter bee might. When I went outside I saw it had discovered my butterfly bush and it crawled and poked at every single blossom. I wasn’t sure if it was after other bugs or just enjoying the nectar. It’s bright and vivid colors were quite astounding.
Leslie
Saint Francisville, Louisiana
Hi Leslie,
Your confusion is understandable. This is a Scarlet Bodied Wasp Moth which derives protection from predators by mimicking a stinging wasp, though the moth is perfectly harmless.