Post by trehopr1 on Aug 26, 2017 3:09:37 GMT
A few years ago a neighbor of mine decided to put up a privacy fence between the lovely green space our yards shared. The posts went in (without cement) and the fence went up un-treated... Well now, after a few years of Chicagoland weather the fence has weathered, the posts are rotted below ground, and the whole edifice is now a magnet of sorts for creatures of all kinds.
Carpenter bees have made homes in it and re-appear every spring. Paper wasps of several species regularly strip it of wood fibers for their nests. Carpenter ants and a whole host of assorted wood boring beetles now call it home. Lately, woodpeckers have found it an attractive place to get a tasty morsel.
So imagine, after seeing all this my surprise that a species of fly now seems to find it attractive for some reason. A rather sizable, pattern winged bee fly species (Bombyliidae) spent about 3 weeks "on the fence" so to speak; flying about, lighting, and looking for mates. I sighted several pairs in copula.
Not being one to pass up an opportunity I decided to "snag" a few specimens for the collection. Below, are the fruits of my labor....
Note the woodpecker hole present on the fence post on the far left of the photo.
Carpenter bees have made homes in it and re-appear every spring. Paper wasps of several species regularly strip it of wood fibers for their nests. Carpenter ants and a whole host of assorted wood boring beetles now call it home. Lately, woodpeckers have found it an attractive place to get a tasty morsel.
So imagine, after seeing all this my surprise that a species of fly now seems to find it attractive for some reason. A rather sizable, pattern winged bee fly species (Bombyliidae) spent about 3 weeks "on the fence" so to speak; flying about, lighting, and looking for mates. I sighted several pairs in copula.
Not being one to pass up an opportunity I decided to "snag" a few specimens for the collection. Below, are the fruits of my labor....
Note the woodpecker hole present on the fence post on the far left of the photo.
