Close Up Detail of a Bee Hover-Fly (Volucella bombylans) Actively Feeding on nectar from a Red Valerian Flower.

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Colourful close-up detail of a Bee Hover-Fly (Volucella bombylans) feeding on nectar from a Red Valerian Flower (Centranthus ruber) on a sunny day. Good detail of its compound eyes, head, abdomen and legs. This is a common hoverfly species found in gardens, hedgerows and edges of woodlands throughout the British Isles. This insect occurs in several forms all mimicking a species of Bumble bee. The female lays her eggs in the nests of social wasps and bumble bees. The larvae are scavengers feeding on debris and the hosts larvae. The adults feed on nectar and pollen, pollinating a wide range of plants as they do so.

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Size: 4680px × 3000px
Location: Exeter, Devon, Great Britain.
Photo credit: © John Insull / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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