Unknown Bee or Fly - Fuzzy!
(Very fast and spooky, so I couldn't catch a sample, nor could I see whether it
had one or two pairs of wings.)
My instinct is that it is a fly, one advisor suggests a bombylid
Hemiptera: Coreidae
Leptoglossus phyllopus
Gulf Fritillary: Agraulis
vanillae
Family: Heliconiidae
on Blazing Star, Liatris elegans
or
Deer's Tongue, Trilisa paniculata
More
pics, including caterpillar
Gulf Fritillary, underside
view
on Blazing Star
or
Deer's Tongue, Trilisa paniculata
Most likely a carpenter bee
Female Xylocopa micans
Our old friend Apis Mellifera, the honeybee, is no longer present in the wild, in many areas, though there are signs that a few colonies have found a natural way to beat the varroa mite. Aster is a good flower to check for honeybees. If they are present in your area, they WILL be found on asters.
This tiny solitary bee is
not yet identified. It has very large pollen pellets (barely visible) relative to
its size.
(Several dozen seen)
(Click photo for enlargement)
Halictidae
Agapostemon (radiatus?)
Unknown red-tailed wasp
See also in the goldenrod section.
May be Prionyx sp
These work freely between goldenrod and aster. Switching plant species reduces pollinator value.
Ambushed!
A syrphid fly that made a meal for a camoflauged crab spider. You can see the spider at
the top.
(Click photo for enlargement)
You can see a closeup of a crab spider on a blackeyed susan
Unknown
(Click photo for enlargement)
Syrphid fly with mostly dark patterns
(common)
(Click photos for enlargement)
Syrphid fly with alternate gold and black patterns
(common)
(Click photos for enlargement)
Another ambush awaits
by a camoflauged asassain,
otherwise known as an anole or chameleon, the only vertebrate seen among the flowers
(Click photo for enlargement)
Family: Iguanidae
Anolis carolinis,
"American chameleon"
Another Image
Southern Skipperling
Copaeodes minumus
Checkered Skipper
Pyrgus communis
More Butterfly Images at: Butterflies of Southeastern Arizona