Can You Guess What it Is? (NO, it's not a bee!)

Hover fly

This little critter was busy enjoying the sweet alyssum blossoms in the greenhouse today. It looks like a bee, but look closer, there's no stinger at all. One of thousands of look a likes in the insect world, it's a hover fly.

I think it looks a lot like this picture of Myathropa florea  I spent a lot of time checking out all the great insect photos on that site and learned some interesting things. While the larvae of some hoverflies are a pest because they eat roots and bulbs, others are a boone to gardeners because they eat aphids.

Hoverflies come in all shapes, sizes and colors. There are a lot of different kinds that come visit my garden in the summer time, but they are rarely still enough for a photo, being always on the go. Some look like wasps and some resemble small house flies. Please don't swat them or spray them. We need them, because they are helpful in pollinating our gardens and in controlling some other insect pests. Besides they don't sting or bite and they are pretty interesting to look at.

Hover fly on sweet alyssum