Eye-catching Insects (8): Bee-fly

Bee-fly Bombylius major

Not a good photo, I'm afraid, but a good enough record shot for me to discover that this is probably a Bee-fly or Bombylius major. The insect was darting about and hovering in my new garden. It hardly rested for a moment, so was quite hard to catch on camera. I have seen these creatures once before - in Yorkshire.

You can read about these flies and how they mimic bees on the Natural History Museum site here. You will also see how the markings on the single pair of wings on the insect on my photo helped to confirm my identification.

Postscript: 16 April ... I have just learned that there is a rare Dotted Bee-Fly!