I would have sworn it was a wasp... how can you tell it's not?

--
Lise

==========================
"mel turner" wrote in message
...
"Mike" wrote in message
news:LQxle.20116$wr.6533@clgrps12...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7984143/

aside from the discovery, what is that fly on the flower?

It's a syrphid fly or hover fly, family Syrphidae.
I don't know what genus and species of syrphid
this one is.

They're well-known as wasp mimics, flower visitors,
and for having larvae that are predators of aphids.

e.g.,
http://www.umaine.edu/umext/cranberr...rphidFlies.htm
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/NE/syrphid_flies.html
http://www.eduwebs.org/bugs/syrphid_flies.htm
http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/syrphid.html

cheers