Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Bee-eaters consume a wide range of insects; beyond a few distasteful butterflies they consume almost any insect from tiny Drosophila flies to large beetles and dragonflies. At some point bee-eaters have been recorded eating beetles, mayflies , stoneflies , cicadas , termites , crickets and grasshoppers , mantises , true flies and moths.
Unlike butterflies, bee flies hold their proboscis straight, and cannot retract it. Many Bombyliidae superficially resemble bees and accordingly the prevalent common name for a member of the family is bee fly. [2] Possibly the resemblance is Batesian mimicry, affording the adults some protection from predators.
As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the larvae eat a wide range of foods. In some species, the larvae are saprotrophs , specifically detritivores , [ 1 ] eating decaying plant and animal matter in the soil or in ponds and streams.
As the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps, and hornets. They catch insects in flight, in sorties from an open perch. Before eating a bee, the European bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. It can eat around 250 bees a day. [citation needed]
Dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera) are heavy-bodied, strong-flying insects that hold their wings horizontally both in flight and at rest. By contrast, damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) have slender bodies and fly more weakly; most species fold their wings over the abdomen when stationary, and the eyes are well separated on the sides of the head.
The large bee-fly, Bombylius major, is a Batesian mimic of bees. Flies are eaten by other animals at all stages of their development. The eggs and larvae are parasitised by other insects and are eaten by many creatures, some of which specialise in feeding on flies but most of which consume them as part of a mixed diet.
Still, there are ways to tell a bee sting from other insect attacks. These will usually cause “a single red, inflamed bump that sometimes has a puncture in the center,” Goldenberg says ...
An adult crane fly, resembling an oversized male mosquito, typically has a slender body and long, stilt-like legs that are deciduous, easily coming off the body. [12] [2] Like other insects, their wings are marked with wing interference patterns which vary among species, thus are useful for species identification. [13]