What kind of bee is this?
Though this looks like a bee, it is actually a fly, a bee fly (family Bombyliidae). But you’ll have to let it land in order to see the difference. If you look closely, you’ll see it has only one pair of wings, whereas bees have two pairs. Their similar appearance and foraging behavior make them easy to mistake for bees.
Unlike bees, bee flies are parasitic and develop on the larvae and pupae of other insects, such as wasps, beetles, butterflies and moths, grasshoppers, and other flies. Read more about bee flies here.
This week’s question is from Justin Ballew, Extension Fruit and Vegetable Research Associate.
The South Carolina Grower 