I had a call from my sister Tracey, who, knowing my obsession with insects, thought I might be able to enlighten her and identify a flying insect she'd seen in her garden. It hovered like a little Hummingbird and I guessed that it could be a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. I've never seen one, so was suitably jealous when she told me about it!
However, she sent me a photo and as I opened the text message I was delighted to see this little chap - a Bee-Fly, and what a beautiful photo!
They look just like bees with their furry little bodies, but a closer look reveals yellowy-brown hair on the body, long spindly legs and a rather menacing (but completely harmless) long, straight proboscis.
How I'd love to have seen one in the flesh - well, as it happens, I didn't have to wait too long.
A week or so later I was with the family at Mum and Dad's house for a lazy afternoon eating gorgeous home-cooked food and catching up with everyone, when Bethany came running in from the garden to tell me that she'd seen one hovering by the flowers! I couldn't believe my luck & was thrilled to be able to watch a beautiful Bee-Fly hovering around the Grape Hyacinths along the garden wall.
It chose a flower, hovered ever more closely and inserted it's proboscis in the flower opening, hovering just like a tiny furry Hummingbird, oblivious to my presence.
Needless to say Bethany got extra ice-cream and cuddles after dinner! What a thrill!
They look just like bees with their furry little bodies, but a closer look reveals yellowy-brown hair on the body, long spindly legs and a rather menacing (but completely harmless) long, straight proboscis.
How I'd love to have seen one in the flesh - well, as it happens, I didn't have to wait too long.
A week or so later I was with the family at Mum and Dad's house for a lazy afternoon eating gorgeous home-cooked food and catching up with everyone, when Bethany came running in from the garden to tell me that she'd seen one hovering by the flowers! I couldn't believe my luck & was thrilled to be able to watch a beautiful Bee-Fly hovering around the Grape Hyacinths along the garden wall.
It chose a flower, hovered ever more closely and inserted it's proboscis in the flower opening, hovering just like a tiny furry Hummingbird, oblivious to my presence.
Needless to say Bethany got extra ice-cream and cuddles after dinner! What a thrill!
