Bugland: Hover Master
Bee Flies (Bombyliidae Major) have long thin tongues, which comes in handy as they sip the nectar from flowers. They are so named because they are among the many flies that imitate bees — bumblebees in this case. As noted by Wikipedia, these buzzing fliers can hover in midair, move very fast and maneuver with great skill, changing directions in the blink of an eye. Bee Flies emerge early in the spring — hard to believe this is in just a few months — when they begin feasting on flowers and spreading their pollen. This Bee Fly was photographed in Park Hill by Mark Silverstein.