| | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
1
|
2
| |
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
| |
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
| |
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
| |
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|  » Stats |
Members: 50,173
Threads: 82,386
Posts: 853,538
Top Poster: glsammy (15,069)
| | Welcome to our newest member, shipin | |  | 
05-01-2011, 08:27 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 24
| | | spider vs bee ?
Hello long time since I've been on this forum... just thought this was an interesting pic and wondered if the insects can be identified ?! |
05-01-2011, 10:53 PM
|  | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: London
Posts: 11,832
| | | Re: spider vs bee ?
Evening Donna,
The spider is a Metellina sp., and the bee is actually a Honeybee-mimicking Hoverfly - an Eristalis sp. (likely Eristalis tenax or pertinax, but could be others)
Take care,
Jason |
15-01-2011, 09:01 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 24
| | | Re: spider vs bee ?
Thankyou for your reply Jason  I'm actually quite scared of spiders but can't help finding them fascinating... I was bit by what I believe to have been a yellow sac last summer or Cheiracanthium inclusum if you'd prefer  !
So this was a Metellina sp., Thankyou I will look into this and the Honeybee-mimicking Hoverfly very interesting could you tell me more about that...
Donna x |
15-01-2011, 09:29 PM
| | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: London
Posts: 11,832
| | | Re: spider vs bee ?
Hi D,
Yes, a few hoverflies are harmless mimics; the two as stated copy the Honeybee, several replicate the look of Bumblebees - Eristalis intricarius, Merodon equestris and Volucella bombylans and others imitate wasps, such as our biggest syrphids Volucella zonaria and V. inanis.
A lot of the others are generally black/yellow, a typical warning colouration such as Eupeodes sp. Others are, however, dull and more under-stated such as Chrysogaster. |
17-01-2011, 08:13 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 24
| | | Re: spider vs bee ?
Fascinating thanks Jason they've evolved like this to avoid being eaten by birds I've just read... |
17-01-2011, 09:11 PM
|  | Wild Member | | Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 124
| | | Re: spider vs bee ?
Who'd have though flies could be so interesting. | | |
| Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode |
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
| | |
| | | 13 members and 251 guests | | clb100, Dillybythesea, fog, Insomniak, jeffnsue, johnwray205, keith llangollen, King Edward, nursiebernard, shipin, Sofija, stewart, willowjay | » New Wildlife Posts | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | » New Environment Posts | | | | | | | | | » New Activity Posts | | | | | | | | | » New Community Posts | | |  Spammers! Yesterday 01:53 PM 8 Replies, 189 Views | | | | | |
