Comments on: Bee http://www.insectpod.com/2008/03/27/bee/ A daily photographic look at the world of insects, spiders, creepies, crawlies and critters. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:30:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Dragoness http://www.insectpod.com/2008/03/27/bee/#comment-751 Dragoness Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:31:41 +0000 http://www.insectpod.com/2008/03/27/bee/#comment-751 ooohhh... If I'd never seen one before I'd be hard pressed to call it, but I've stalked and caught a bazillion of these things, if it is what it looks like. It looks like a drone fly, which is indeed a bee mimic that is nonetheless a Diptera. In the area that I caught most of them (California), the best way to tell them from a honeybee is the flight pattern and the fact that their eyes meet at the top. The wings are too hard to verify unless you grab one, and then if you're wrong it's too late! ooohhh… If I’d never seen one before I’d be hard pressed to call it, but I’ve stalked and caught a bazillion of these things, if it is what it looks like. It looks like a drone fly, which is indeed a bee mimic that is nonetheless a Diptera.

In the area that I caught most of them (California), the best way to tell them from a honeybee is the flight pattern and the fact that their eyes meet at the top. The wings are too hard to verify unless you grab one, and then if you’re wrong it’s too late!

]]> By: Scott http://www.insectpod.com/2008/03/27/bee/#comment-718 Scott Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:25:19 +0000 http://www.insectpod.com/2008/03/27/bee/#comment-718 Ooh that's twisted! Glad you like the pic! Ooh that’s twisted!

Glad you like the pic!

]]> By: tceisele http://www.insectpod.com/2008/03/27/bee/#comment-717 tceisele Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:15:31 +0000 http://www.insectpod.com/2008/03/27/bee/#comment-717 I'm pretty sure that I can see both a forewing and a hindwing on the left side, which would mean that it has four wings and isn't a fly (true flies only have two wings, with the hind wings reduced to halteres). I'd say it's a bumblebee, but the big eyes are throwing me - none of the bumblebees I'm seeing pictures of have huge eyes like that. Of course, if bumblebees are like honeybees, then the males would have huge eyes relative to the females, so maybe this is a male of a species where I'm only seeing pictures of females. Speaking of which: if you have access to a beehive, you can pick out the drones (males) pretty easy based on their larger size and huge eyes. The drones don't have stingers, so you can fill a jar with them, then take them in a house and let them loose to terrorize people. Great fun! I’m pretty sure that I can see both a forewing and a hindwing on the left side, which would mean that it has four wings and isn’t a fly (true flies only have two wings, with the hind wings reduced to halteres). I’d say it’s a bumblebee, but the big eyes are throwing me - none of the bumblebees I’m seeing pictures of have huge eyes like that.

Of course, if bumblebees are like honeybees, then the males would have huge eyes relative to the females, so maybe this is a male of a species where I’m only seeing pictures of females.

Speaking of which: if you have access to a beehive, you can pick out the drones (males) pretty easy based on their larger size and huge eyes. The drones don’t have stingers, so you can fill a jar with them, then take them in a house and let them loose to terrorize people. Great fun!

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