> 1. I have seen a fly that must be a Bombus mimic - it is covered with
> black and yellow (or black and yellow and orange!) fur, and forages
> on flowers (seen on small thistles).  It is not a robberfly.  It has
> huge eyes that comprise nearlythe entire head.  It's the size of a
> medium to small bumblebee worker.
> Does anyone know what this guy is?  All my books are packed away...
 
I've heard of a fly that's called, strangely enough, a bee fly, that mimics
a bee (don't know which one offhand), with orange and black stripes.
 
Mimicry of poisonous, bad tasting or otherwise nasty insects by other
insects is fairly common in the insect world.
 
-Mike