Fly ID please....!

[Bundle 2]

I have seen this fly in the past month(s) One I found expired in the bottom of a beehive. It had been dispatched by bees I suspect ! I have found it interested apparently in the hives but no means solely attracted by the beehives - does anyone know what it is please?

 

[RobArb]

Volucella pellucens?

[Bundle 2]

Yeah...looks right to me. Nice one !

I am amused by wikipedia's comment about bee mimicry being a deterrent agianst birds eating them....the birds here love eating my bees. They are constantly flitting down & picking them off !

cheers.....

[RobArb]

The birds must be hungry:biggrin:

 

On a side note, it wasn't too hard to find on google once you know the right terminology to search for:thumbup:

 

Sent from my Galaxy S2

[Bundle 2]

Fair enough. I just figured that without a visual I was going to struggle ! I mean, a hover fly, fine but I didnt know that much for sure ! And so it was that I asked, confident that it would be recognised by an arb perhaps, as I know some are interested in aspects that relate to our work , extra curricula if you will !!

By terminalogy, I trust you dont mean the specific entomological definition huh !!

[Bundle 2]

BTW...I keep the only house amongst my neighbours on this 'ere estate that isnt paved to the hilt....!

I keep the grass long and the hedges unkempt, never cutting what flower there is until after . There are pockets of this Fine City (Norwich) that has no sparrows at all ! I cant get rid the blighters...they raise 2 broods I reckon, getting fat on the proceeds of my beekeeping...!

It was funny to watch them learning to take the bees without getting stung. And watching them in turn get picked off by sparrow hawks !

Im not mr tidy house wash me car Im afraid !!

[RobArb]

I googled "UK fly identification" and spotted a similar Volucella in the gallery images on a decent fly website. I then google Volucella and just looked at the different types:biggrin:

 

I did insects at uni last year and have only remembered the basic entomological differences:blush:

 

Sent from my Galaxy S2

[RobArb]

They do have interesting behaviour though!

 

Sent from my Galaxy S2

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

BTW...I keep the only house amongst my neighbours on this 'ere estate that isnt paved to the hilt....!

I keep the grass long and the hedges unkempt, never cutting what flower there is until after . There are pockets of this Fine City (Norwich) that has no sparrows at all ! I cant get rid the blighters...they raise 2 broods I reckon, getting fat on the proceeds of my beekeeping...!

It was funny to watch them learning to take the bees without getting stung. And watching them in turn get picked off by sparrow hawks !

Im not mr tidy house wash me car Im afraid !!

 

nowt wrong with that Tim, good on you I say, nice find too.

[HCR]

BTW...I keep the only house amongst my neighbours on this 'ere estate that isnt paved to the hilt....!

I keep the grass long and the hedges unkempt, never cutting what flower there is until after . There are pockets of this Fine City (Norwich) that has no sparrows at all ! I cant get rid the blighters...they raise 2 broods I reckon, getting fat on the proceeds of my beekeeping...!

It was funny to watch them learning to take the bees without getting stung. And watching them in turn get picked off by sparrow hawks !

Im not mr tidy house wash me car Im afraid !!

 

I say good on you too. Each to their own, but just a little bit of appropriate timing can make a lot of difference.