CLOSED: A Bee (?) ID needed please...

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SusanLouise Lincoln, NE(Zone 5b) Aug 19, 2009

Hello :)

I've never see anything like these before...we had several on our Zinnias in our garden today. They looked like tiny gold puff balls and they had narrow wings too...
TIA :)
Susan

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Aug 20, 2009

Not a bee, but a bee fly (Diptera: Bombyliidae). Their larvae are parasitic/predatory on the larvae of ground-nesting bees and wasps.

Post #6966579
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SusanLouise Lincoln, NE(Zone 5b) Aug 20, 2009

Hello Suunto,

That's a great help!
Unfortunately, I went to several links with that info, but was unable to narrow the species down further to properly post this pic in a Bug File here in DG. I found this link with the top pic looking like the one I took a pic of...
http://www.cirrusimage.com/flies_bee_Villa_sp.htm
But the info under that pic doesn't clarify which one it is :(
Here's a link here at DG where I tried to put the pic in the proper Bug File...but there are 5 bee flies with the ID name beginning with Diptera: Bombyliidae. Since there wasn't a single one with an image yet, I can't post the pic yet til I know which one....
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/b/Diptera/Bombyliidae/none/none/genus/0/
Do you have any suggestions for me?
TIA :)
Susan


This message was edited Aug 19, 2009 8:14 PM

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claypa West Pottsgrove, PA(Zone 6b) Aug 20, 2009

If you scroll down that page, you'll see there are a few dozen flies in Bombyliidae there. Maybe you'll see it again and be able to get a better close up shot and narrow it down?

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SusanLouise Lincoln, NE(Zone 5b) Aug 20, 2009

Hello Claypa,

You are so right! I didn't think to explore further at the bottom of the link...DUH!
I found it...Thank you!!
Here's what they had...
http://www.cirrusimage.com/flies_bee_Systoechus_vulgaris.htm
And here's the Bug File I just started...
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/5699/
Thanks again!!! :)
Susan

Post #6967168
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