Precision Flying and Puzzling Behavior!
I was photographing the Common Lessingia (Lessingia pectinata var pectinata) when a dipteran pollinator landed. So I took a few photos of it as well. Then I noticed a follower!! In the remaining four photos you can see an amazing aerial act https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50125554. Another fly, presumably a male, was always hovering at about 3 cm behind her at a 30 degree angle. It was truly precision flying. I have added yellow arrows to two of the photos to help point out these well camouflaged insects.
I know there are other flies that follow hosts to their nests to lay eggs or steal food. But I will have to investigate what was going on here. I believe they are Banded Bee Flies in the genus Villa.
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I was photographing the Common Lessingia when I the nice dipteran pollinator landed. So I took a few photos of her also. Then I noticed a follower!! In photos #4 - #5 you can see an amazing aerial act. A smaller fly, perhaps a male of the same species, was always hovering at about 3 cm behind her at a 30 degree angle. It was truly precision flying. I know there are flies that follow hosts to their nests to lay eggs or steal food. But I do not know what was going on here.
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