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Toxomerus geminatus
About 7 mm in length. Face is white, antennae are yellow while large eyes are a rusty red. Thorax is bronze with a clear yellow edge. Abdomen is striped in yellow and black.
I photographed this insect at the edge of the yard next to a deciduous forest.
These flies may also be known as flower flies or hover flies.
Spotted on May 16, 2012
Submitted on May 16, 2012
3 Comments
Completely harmless, in fact very beneficial. The larvae of many syrphid fly species are voracious predators of soft bodied insects (garden pests!). I love these flies and I am happy to see so many already this year :)
Exactly what it wants you, and other potential predators, to believe. They are infamous mimics and very good at it. Fortunately, they are harmless.
It looks like a bee.