> 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