These photographs date back to 31 May 2014. May is a very busy month in the bee hotels. The bee hotels are much busier than I had ever suspected.
On 24 May three different species of bee were emerging at the same time so it was difficult to concentrate on what to focus on. The bees emerge daily and I visit with my camera in hand.
On the 31st I saw something starting to emerge. It looked different but I was hoping for yet another bee species. Then I thought perhaps a solitary wasp but I think what I have here is a parasitic fly, perhaps a Leucophora species.
I have seen what I think are Cacoxenus indagator , with their red eyes, around the hotels in the past but these are tiny fruit fly sized creatures. The hole that can be seen in the photograph of the fly has a diameter of 7-8 milimetres, which makes the fly coming up to 2 cm. long
Unfortunately, I saw a similar for the second time on 28 September 2014. It was examining my newest bee hotel. Because I had put it up so late in the season only Anthidium manicatum has nested here. This sort of bee hotel can be opened so it is something I can look out for when I open it.
Any information anyone has on these flies would be greatly appreciated.
Bees in a French Garden 