Unusually Social, Pt. 2 - _TNY_8444
This tiny beauty on the flower of a house leek (Sempervivum tectorum) is most likely a female long hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) as it is the most common of the Sphaerophoria species - but this could be one of the others as well so ID will have to stop at it being a globetail (Sphaerophoria sp.).
I found her there while looking for carder bees and disvovered that she wasn't scared by the camera at all.
I could try loads of settings and levels of magnification and flash power and what not and she stayed on the flower.
After getting a bunch of shots, I stood up - but this made her abandon the flower and begin circling my head instead!
Her wings produced a rather high-pitched, almost mosquito-like, sound and she stayed around me while I walked about five meters to a different flower in the garden. By now I was quite amused by her behaviour and held out my hand and lo and behold, she landed on it - and I got a shot of her there as well (coming later).
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53853160550/
Unusually Social, Pt. 2 - _TNY_8444
This tiny beauty on the flower of a house leek (Sempervivum tectorum) is most likely a female long hoverfly (Sphaerophoria scripta) as it is the most common of the Sphaerophoria species - but this could be one of the others as well so ID will have to stop at it being a globetail (Sphaerophoria sp.).
I found her there while looking for carder bees and disvovered that she wasn't scared by the camera at all.
I could try loads of settings and levels of magnification and flash power and what not and she stayed on the flower.
After getting a bunch of shots, I stood up - but this made her abandon the flower and begin circling my head instead!
Her wings produced a rather high-pitched, almost mosquito-like, sound and she stayed around me while I walked about five meters to a different flower in the garden. By now I was quite amused by her behaviour and held out my hand and lo and behold, she landed on it - and I got a shot of her there as well (coming later).
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53853160550/