Category Archives: bugs

Some years ago, while looking at a picture I took of a tiger lilly, I discovered that the flower sheltered a crab spider (Misumena vatia). Known variously as a flower spider, and a goldenrod spider, this tiny predator haunts flowers … Continue reading →

Bee flies (Family: bombyliidae) gain their name from their behaviour (they feed on nectar and pollen) and often their appearance (they often resemble bees). Below are examples of three genera seen during the summer of 2010. The Kootenay-Lake Website offers a … Continue reading →

Observations during a walk along the shore on August 7, 2010. The Kootenay-Lake Website offers a discussion and more pictures of the local moths, solitary wasps, flies, and social bees. ********* This tiny, easily overlooked, creature is the sulphur knapweed moth. It is … Continue reading →

A staple of a talk about pollinators is a comparison of bees and flies—how to tell them apart. It is usually noted that flies have two wings (one pair) while bees have four wings (two pairs). It is often difficult … Continue reading →