100 More Species #16: Small wasp-mimic hoverfly

[urbpan]

Small wasp-mimic hover fly Toxomerus, probably T. geminatus

The genus Toxomerus contains a great many species, especially in the New World tropics. Up here in New England T. geminatus is one of the more common species. These hover flies, varying in size but almost always less than 1 cm long, mimic small wasps. Each hover fly I've covered in this project has been smaller than the one before, and I suspect this is it for that pattern unless my photographic equipment is upgraded.



It is pleasing to capture the fly in the act of feeding on pollen. It's also nice to see that spiderwort is definitely participating in the ecology of the yard.