Hornet Mimic Volucella zonaria

e6filmuser

This large hoverfly is very difficult to distinguish from the real hornet when in flight. It has minute, feathery antennae, rather than the thick, jointed bee and wasp/hornet ones.

I was about to fetch something to use in my gardening task when it flew past, close to me, and alighted on a the rim of a flower pot on the ground.

So what I fetched was my camera.

The insect was still on the flower pot but it took off as I approached. To my surprise, it came towards me and landed on a polystyrene trough. This made it too close for me to get down and shoot from its level. I got only the two frames before it departed.

It is a female.

Olympus EM-1 (aperture priority), Olympus 4/3 x2 TC, Olympus 4/3 50mm f2 macro, 1/50 at f11 ISO 1,000, sunlight, hand-held.

The images are cropped ca 30%.

The stereo is crosseye.

Harold