Long legged / long proboscis insect feeding off Forget-me-not

Tim Lund · #1 (**permalink**) 12-04-2008, 04:48 PM

I've just seen a weird insect visiting forget-me-not (Myosotis) flowers in my London garden. Most of the time it hovered, and appeared to using this to stabilise its position in the flower, which it was also touching with its six long legs, rather like a mosquito's, while it sucked with its proboscis. Its body was yellowy-brown, widish but tapering a bit away from the head. The tail - such that it was - was stubby. The body was hairy - about half the width of a bumble bee. When at rest I could see the wings. I'm not sure if it had two pairs - in any case the fore pair were dominant. The front edges of them, and an irregular area behind were dark, but the remainder was transparent. I've never seen an insect like this. Any ideas?

I tried to get a photo, but I don't have a good camera, and it seemed to have focused automatically on the background vegetation.

Kayleigh · #2 (**permalink**) 12-04-2008, 04:53 PM

It could be a hummingbird moth, But not sure, it could be a little early. Did it look like this.
http://forrestcroce.com/Images/Lesli...ngbirdMoth.jpg

Meta menardi · #3 (**permalink**) 12-04-2008, 04:57 PM

Sounds like it could be a bee-fly, especially the description of the wings. Have a search through recent posts, there are quite a few about beeflies recently.

If it is the first time you have seen one, they are quite unexpected.

haematocephalus · #4 (**permalink**) 12-04-2008, 05:27 PM

... or perhaps it could be the Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Anthophora plumipes, which I think has also been discussed elsewhere on WAB recently. It hovers superbly, and has been flying in my garden today.

Martin

Martin Harvey