Spear-toting Bee? Ovipositor?

[IanCD]

Haven't posted here for quite a while... We moved to a house in November 2012 which we've since been rebuilding, while living in a caravan/cabin, so most of my photography has been documenting the building work. I do take the ocasional opportunity to do some other stuff, though, particularly photographing some of our occasional rareand unusual visitors, like this one. Anyone know what it is, and what the spear-like shaft at it's head is?









Ian

[IzzieK]

Either Geoff or Grahame might be able to ID this one for you...they are the experts in Insectology...

I like your shots anyway...you've made a friend there with that bee posing for you...

[flashback]

Cool shots Ian, and good enough to ID the critter. It's a bee mimic, called bee flies. They are a member of the fly Order, Diptera, family Bombyliidae, and I believe yours is Bombylius major. It's not an ovipostitor (that would be at the *south* end) but is the fly's proboscis, or modified mouth parts. Neither a stingy nor bitey kind of insect.

[IanCD]

Great, thanks Jack... figured the ovipositor shouldn't be there, but had no idea what it could be..!! :-)

[Geoff F]

Yes, as Jack mentioned, Bombylius major. That long feeding tube enables it to feed from deep throated flowers where its size would otherwise be a problem. Like primroses for instance.

There are 5 species which can be found in the UK but the others are rather uncommon.

Always good to see these sure signs of Spring.

[Stagecoach]

A nice series Ian, you managed to get some good angles on him.

[IzzieK]

I thought of adding Jack then I forgot, sorry Jack...

[flashback]

No worries Izzie, the important thing to remember is that there are a lot of people here, with a lot of knowledge about a wide variety of things.
"Never seem more learned than the people you are with. Wear your learning like a pocket watch and keep it hidden. Do not pull it out to count the hours, but give the time when you are asked.”
Lord Chesterfield

[flashback]

Ian, you're welcome. When you hear hoof beats think horses not zebras. If it's on the head it's going to be mouth parts in some form or another.

Interesting sidebar: In a colony of bees, most are females. Only the queen has an ovipositor, the worker (female) bees have had their ovipositors modified into stingers.

[IanCD]

Thanks for the feedback, folks. What a brilliant forum this is..!