Any entymologists out there?

[louiseww]

I have been seeing this small bee like insect collecting nectar on aubretia and grape hyachinths and wondered what it was. It varies in size but is much smaller than a bumble bee and not as long as a honey bee. Pear shaped and brown and it buzzes and has a very long tongue that I can see going into the centre of the flowers. It also hovers, but have checked out hoverflies on google and can't find anything at all like it.
I have tried to attach a photo - first time doing this so hope it has worked.
Louise

 

[Erichalfbee]

It's a bee fly, family Bombyliidae
Lovely picture

 

[gavin]

Nice picture!

It is a bee fly which both parasitises and mimics bees. The larvae live off larvae of the solitary bee Andrena.

Story:

http://www.plantpress.com/wildlife/o369-beefly.php

Better map showing that it is more widespread:

http://data.nbn.org.uk/gridMap/gridMap.jsp?allDs=1&srchSpKey=NBNSYS0000007943

Lovely photos:

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/insects-and-invertebrates/10101-bee-fly.html

 

[louiseww]

Thank you
L

 

[louiseww]

Thanks Gavin, thanks also for the websites so I can now show these to the grandchildren
Louise

 

[Mandeville]

Louise - thanks for asking this question - I've seen some of these in the last few days and had no idea what they were

I thought it must be some kind of hoverfly too. It seems to be going for forget-me-nots in my garden.