Better than a bee

The insect in this photo is not a bee. It is an American hover fly, and a member of a larger group of pollinator insects. The unsuspecting person may easily misidentify this bee impostor as it goes from flower to flower just like a bee. Quite possibly its color and markings evolved as a defensive measure to help deter hungry birds and frogs.

Although the hover fly does feed on nectar, it does not make honey nor live in a hive. It does perform the service of pollinating flowering plants. As honeybee numbers continue to decline in North America other pollinator insects such as the hover fly become more important.

The American hover fly can be found in fields of flowering plants throughout North America. The yellowish white to pinkish brown larvae feed on aphids and other small insects that cause disease to plants. This puts hover flies in the category of "beneficial insects" along with such notables as the American ladybug and the praying mantis.

The warm flower depicted here is a garden marigold. An intense afternoon early November sun gave me the incentive to wait among the flowers for this image. I liked the look of the unopened marigold blossom juxtaposed in front of the blooming one. I steadied my camera using the base of a wooden post, focused on the flowers and stayed put for several long minutes. Finally the hover fly magically appeared, and I carefully tripped the shutter.

@body_no_indent italics:Through the Woods is a weekly nature photo column by Aaron Horrell.