The sunshine over the past few days has brought out the insects. Here are a couple of hoverflies mimicking bumblebees
This is a female Volucella bombylans – note the featherlike antennae
And this is Merodon equestris – it is mimicking the Common Carder Bumblebee
To the casual obeserver the following insects look like bumblebees. In fact they are hoverflies mimicking bumblebees – very clever impersonators!
Obviously bumblebees have a sting which they use as a deterrent – a young bird which catches a bumblebee will inevitiably get a nasty painful sting. That sting will kill the bumblebee but will act as a deterrent the next time that bird sees a bumblebee. Instead of catching another bumblebee it will go and hunt something else.
By mimicking bumblebees the hoverfly will gain the ‘group’ protection of looking like a bumblebee!
This is the hoverfly Volucella bombylans – it looks very similar to a white tailed bumblebee
A close up allows you to see it has fly-like eyes opposed to the much smaller bee-like eyes.
This is the hoverfly Cheilosia illustrata – note all the furry hairs and the red tail – this is mimicing the Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum.
Funny thing evolution!
A Dartmoor blog 