ENT532: Image of syrphid on aster

I observed insects in a patch of flowers on a cloudy afternoon with a temperature of approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit. There were fewer bees than I would expect to see on a sunny day; I only observed several Bombus impatiens visiting flowers. I wonder whether bumble bees’ larger size allows them to forage in a wider range of weather conditions than other bee species. Despite the lack of small bees, there were quite a few hoverflies (Syrphidae) visiting flowers. This made me think about the ways in which hover flies’ mimicry of bees falls short. If hover flies are present in contexts where the smaller bees that they most closely resemble are not, are they more vulnerable to predators? Can predators learn to tell hover flies apart from bees? I can imagine this “learning” occurring at multiple scales: an individual could learn this in its lifetime or a species could gradually evolve to distinguish between hover flies and bees based on behavior. I also found that the hover flies move differently from bees. The flies I observed alternated between short, quick bursts of flight and hovering in place. This is another difference that predators could ascertain. However, this difference is rather subtle, and it may be that hover flies are not an important enough food source for predators to evolve ways to distinguish them from the bees they mimic.

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Work Title ENT532: Image of syrphid on aster
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Ella Messner
Keyword
  1. Syrphidae
  2. ENT532
  3. Asteraceae
License CC0 1.0 (Public Domain Dedication)
Work Type Image
Publication Date September 24, 2024
Language
  1. Entomology
DOI doi:10.26207/mqw8-vs69
Geographic Area
  1. Shingletown Gap, Harris Township, Pennsylvania, USA
Deposited September 24, 2024

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Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Updated
  • Updated Keyword, Language, Geographic Area, and 2 more Show Changes
    Keyword
    • Syrphidae, ENT532, Asteraceae
    Language
    • Entomology
    Geographic Area
    • Shingletown Gap, Harris Township, Pennsylvania, USA
    Description
    • I observed insects in a patch of flowers on a cloudy afternoon with a temperature of approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit. There were fewer bees than I would expect to see on a sunny day; I only observed several Bombus impatiens visiting flowers. I wonder whether bumble bees’ larger size allows them to forage in a wider range of weather conditions than other bee species. Despite the lack of small bees, there were quite a few hoverflies (Syrphidae) visiting flowers. This made me think about the ways in which hover flies’ mimicry of bees falls short. If hover flies are present in contexts where the smaller bees that they most closely resemble are not, are they more vulnerable to predators? Can predators learn to tell hover flies apart from bees? I can imagine this “learning” occurring at multiple scales: an individual could learn this in its lifetime or a species could gradually evolve to distinguish between hover flies and bees based on behavior. I also found that the hover flies move differently from bees. The flies I observed alternated between short, quick bursts of flight and hovering in place. This is another difference that predators could ascertain. However, this difference is rather subtle, and it may be that hover flies are not an important enough food source for predators to evolve ways to distinguish them from the bees they mimic.
    Publication Date
    • 2024-09-24
  • Added Creator Ella Messner
  • Added ENT532 syrphid.jpg
  • Updated License Show Changes
    License
    • http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
  • Published
  • Updated
  • Updated Description Show Changes
    Description
    • I observed insects in a patch of flowers on a cloudy afternoon with a temperature of approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit. There were fewer bees than I would expect to see on a sunny day; I only observed several Bombus impatiens visiting flowers. I wonder whether bumble bees’ larger size allows them to forage in a wider range of weather conditions than other bee species. Despite the lack of small bees, there were quite a few hoverflies (Syrphidae) visiting flowers. This made me think about the ways in which hover flies’ mimicry of bees falls short. If hover flies are present in contexts where the smaller bees that they most closely resemble are not, are they more vulnerable to predators? Can predators learn to tell hover flies apart from bees? I can imagine this “learning” occurring at multiple scales: an individual could learn this in its lifetime or a species could gradually evolve to distinguish between hover flies and bees based on behavior. I also found that the hover flies move differently from bees. The flies I observed alternated between short, quick bursts of flight and hovering in place. This is another difference that predators could ascertain. However, this difference is rather subtle, and it may be that hover flies are not an important enough food source for predators to evolve ways to distinguish them from the bees they mimic.
    • I observed insects in a patch of flowers on a cloudy afternoon with a temperature of approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit. There were fewer bees than I would expect to see on a sunny day; I only observed several _Bombus impatiens_ visiting flowers. I wonder whether bumble bees’ larger size allows them to forage in a wider range of weather conditions than other bee species. Despite the lack of small bees, there were quite a few hoverflies (Syrphidae) visiting flowers. This made me think about the ways in which hover flies’ mimicry of bees falls short. If hover flies are present in contexts where the smaller bees that they most closely resemble are not, are they more vulnerable to predators? Can predators learn to tell hover flies apart from bees? I can imagine this “learning” occurring at multiple scales: an individual could learn this in its lifetime or a species could gradually evolve to distinguish between hover flies and bees based on behavior. I also found that the hover flies move differently from bees. The flies I observed alternated between short, quick bursts of flight and hovering in place. This is another difference that predators could ascertain. However, this difference is rather subtle, and it may be that hover flies are not an important enough food source for predators to evolve ways to distinguish them from the bees they mimic.