Bee Fly

This is a blog post devoted to a very intriguing insect. He is called a Bee Fly. I have seen them before, but I have never really gotten a chance to photograph them or look at them closely. That changed yesterday afternoon while I was out getting pictures. 

The photo below is a Bee Fly on a flower. They obviously liked these flowers a lot. He used His super-long nose (or proboscis) to drink the nectar on the flower. I've read that they often use their noses to drink while flying so as to avoid predators on the flower, but I have not observed this yet.

His body is about 1/4-3/8 of an inch long, and with his nose he is probably just under half an inch long. His wings vibrate with a buzzing noise even while he drinks. That is what makes them easiest to find, for if you can't see them, you can often hear them. (For any of these pictures, click for an enlargement)

This was the strangest thing I noticed about the Bee Fly: he flies with his legs sticking straight up into the air! I couldn't figure why. I tried to research him, but there just isn't that much information on his flight behaviors. But as you can see, he just flies along with his legs sticking happily up into the air.

I love this little bug! You can see how he puts his front two pairs of arms together in a somewhat aerodynamic position, while his back two legs float wildly above him. He doesn't fly quickly (unless disturbed. Then he is VERY zippy!), but he is very under control. His flight is very much like a helicopter: he hovers, makes determined flight choices, and always approaches his target with extreme care. Such an amazing creature.

The only thing I could figure about his "leg thing" is that he used them as some sort of air sensor. Perhaps he was getting them above his wings where the air would be less disturbed. That way, if an enemy approached and he sensed the turbulence in the air, he could zip away and escape. Just an idea, but I really don't know.

All I know is that the Bee Fly is an amazing little insect, and there is no way he could have evolved. Only an EXTREMELY creative Creator could have created such an incredible critter. 

If you can find any good information about these insects, please share it with me!