A bee or not a bee?

[John Mitchell]

Can anyone tell if this guy is a bumblebee, a regular bee, or something else altogether?

The yellow flowers are  Common Tansy  (Tanacetum vulgare), I think.

Thanks.

 

 

Sony a6000 w/18-55 kit lens and cheapo plastic extension tubes, handheld

[Michael Ventura]

That is the question.  I think a bumblebee but not sure what variety.

[John Mitchell]

5 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

That is the question.  I think a bumblebee but not sure what variety.

 

That could also be the answer. Thanks. There seem to be lot to choose from.

[MizBrown]

You'd probably need the location and a bumblebee key from someone at your nearest university to narrow it down to species.  Wings and front yellow band behind the head might narrow it down some to quite a bit as the wings are dark and folded together over the back.   If you have other photographs that show the rear of the body, check the key against those, too.

[Inchiquin]

Was it taken in a hamlet?

 

Alan

[Starsphinx]

Insects including "bees" can be a nightmare to identify sometimes.  There are mimic flies that closely resemble bees - and within bees themselves, you have solitary bees that very closely resemble the social insects because they are nest parasites (called cuckoo bees unsurprisingly) and with those, you sometimes need to be able to see specific body parts to differentiate.  I would echo @MizBrown and recommend finding a specialist or expert.  I know for the UK/Europe there is a facebook group that shares and identifies photos of insects and there may be one for Canada.  I find the group useful as I can use photos that are not quite stock quality (too small,  slightly soft, incorrect focus point), or are simply not the best in a series to get IDs.

[Johnnie5]

According to this there are 500 species of bees to choose from in British Columbia. Good Luck.

https://www.mgabc.org/node/2050

[Ed Rooney]

I'm trying to decide if I know less about flora or fauna. I guess I'm equally ignorant about each. 🤔

[John Mitchell]

17 hours ago, MizBrown said:

You'd probably need the location and a bumblebee key from someone at your nearest university to narrow it down to species.  Wings and front yellow band behind the head might narrow it down some to quite a bit as the wings are dark and folded together over the back.   If you have other photographs that show the rear of the body, check the key against those, too.

 

Thanks. I do have a side-view to consult. However, now that it has been deemed a bumblebee, I'll probably just stick with that. It's not like there's a shortage of bumblebee images out there.

[John Mitchell]

8 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

I'm trying to decide if I know less about flora or fauna. I guess I'm equally ignorant about each. 🤔

 

Yes, but just think how much you know about cheesecake and tiramisu. 🙃

[John Mitchell]

15 hours ago, Starsphinx said:

Insects including "bees" can be a nightmare to identify sometimes.  There are mimic flies that closely resemble bees - and within bees themselves, you have solitary bees that very closely resemble the social insects because they are nest parasites (called cuckoo bees unsurprisingly) and with those, you sometimes need to be able to see specific body parts to differentiate.  I would echo @MizBrown and recommend finding a specialist or expert.  I know for the UK/Europe there is a facebook group that shares and identifies photos of insects and there may be one for Canada.  I find the group useful as I can use photos that are not quite stock quality (too small,  slightly soft, incorrect focus point), or are simply not the best in a series to get IDs.

 

Right. Nature is full of copycats. I thought this was a bee, but turns out it's a drone fly dressed up as a bee.