drone fly?
Hi there,
Is this a drone fly? This specimen was resting on a garden bench in early spring at my home on southern vancouver island, BC. Thanks to your site, I also would like to report a successful id of a Bedstraw Hawkmoth (Celerio galii) (see sphinx moths 2 – (05/14/2006)) that I found beside the side of the road near Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. For your interest I have attached a closeup photo of its head. It has amazing eyes!!
Ian Mackenzie,
Victoria, BC.
Hi Ian,
The fly you sent is not a Drone Fly, but a Tachnid Fly, probably Gymnosoma fulginosa, according to BugGuide. Adults are nectar feeders and larvae are parasitic on True Bugs and Beetles. Eggs are laid inside the host and the larvae feed on internal organs. Tachnids are important biological control agents.