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| 1 | 2 |  » Stats |
Members: 50,147
Threads: 82,324
Posts: 853,113
Top Poster: glsammy (15,069)
| | Welcome to our newest member, aliciahellawell | |  | | 
17-04-2008, 02:04 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 2
| | | insect ID?
Hi all - I'm new here, and came because I'm hoping you can provide an ID for an insect I've seen a few times at my allotment in Swansea. I have no idea what the proper terms are for the various bits of insects, so please bear with me!!
It's golden brown coloured all over, furry like a bumblebee with a white underside. It's wings (with visible black veins) stick out at right-angles to the body when it's sitting and when it's flying. It has a long black thing like a butterfly's tongue that sticks out in front rather than coiling up. It's about half an inch long (body) or just over 1" all in. It's legs are dark brown/black. It seemed happy to hover or sit/walk on my hand after I did some planting this week.
I have looked at pictures of bordered bee hawkmoths both broad and narrow types and it's closer to the narrow than the broad, but still not quite right. I don't have a photo of it yet (but hope to soon).
Any ideas??
Many thanks,
WG |
17-04-2008, 02:07 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 1,416
| | | Re: insect ID?
Sounds rather like a bee fly - look in the Gallery for Bombylius major and see if that looks right  |
17-04-2008, 02:16 PM
|  | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northants.
Posts: 11,628
| | | Re: insect ID?
I would say bee fly. There have been lots of sightings this of them this year. |
17-04-2008, 06:35 PM
|  | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 10,729
| | | Re: insect ID?
Yes i agree sounds alot like a bee fly (Bombyliidae). |
17-04-2008, 09:10 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Swansea, S.Wales
Posts: 4,558
| | | Re: insect ID?
Welcome to WAB weedygardener, Nice to see another Swansea Jack on the site, hurry up and dig your camera out and get posting those photo's.
Got to agree sounds like a Bee fly to me. |
17-04-2008, 09:12 PM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 154
| | | Re: insect ID?
Superb description of a bee fly.
__________________
http://stevehale.zenfolio.com/nature |
18-04-2008, 11:10 AM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 2
| | | Re: insect ID?
Thanks everyone. Now that I have seen all the photos I can confirm this is what I've seen.
Now can anyone answer the daft question of if it can sting at all? I have two young children (5 and 4) who are very interested in wildlife but, like children are, can be a bit heavy-handed. I teach them to look not poke but still...
Many thanks, wg
welsh.lensman where-abouts do you live? I'm in Sketty, with children at school in Tycoch. |
18-04-2008, 11:21 AM
|  | Dame Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Kent
Posts: 9,725
| | | Re: insect ID?
No-harmless and friendly and they're cute looking too.
__________________
The female of the species is more deadly than the male.:p |
18-04-2008, 02:16 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 6
| | | Re: insect ID?
Hi,
Would you be able to safely catch one? As I could get the bee identified for you.
Best wishes,
Fred |
18-04-2008, 07:17 PM
| | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 10,729
| | | Re: insect ID?
Its not actually a bee fred but a species of fly that mimics a bee, if he posts a photo it would be relatively easy to ID it on the forum. | | | |
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