Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from "Banana" contains these words:

Is there a particular category that these two bees fall under?

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=22179147&size=m

It's a hoverfly. One of the many species which have a protective
likeness to stinging insects. You can tell them apart because bees and
wasps have two pairs of wings and long antennae. Flies have one pair
of wings and short antennae.

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=20237855&size=m

White-tailed bumblebee I think, (Bombus lucorum)

I don't get it, Rusty. If you look at the header on the photo it was marked
'hoverfly' so the OP clearly knew it /was/ a hoverfly and *not* a bee. So
why post here calling it a bee...?

I love bumbles - it takes a great deal, I've found, to make them sting. In
fact, I have picked them up, in my cupped hands, to release them outside
when they have stumbled into the house. Had a buff-tail sit on my arm the
other day and it was very strokable (well they are, they're all velvety!) I
have never been stung by one - obviously, stinging is a *very* last resort
as, obviously, it's suicidal.

I acutally believe that it's the Vestal cuckoo bee (Bombus vestalis
(formerly Psithyrus vestalis)).

Some good images of such can be found here
http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/in...ll_images.html
(or http://tinyurl.com/8pwg3 if that wraps).

But what do I know - hymenoptera isn't my area of expertise.

Sarah