I had my new Lumix 100-400mm (200-800 equivalent on micro 4/3) telephoto lens on the camera when I saw it, but luckily it focuses quite close and is actually surprisingly good for macro photography as long as you can hold the long telephoto steady. (helped by the Olympus OM-D's amazing stabilization) Even if I'd had my macro lens on, getting that close could easily have scared it away. With the telephoto I took this shot from 4 feet away.
I was on the lookout for bees on the crocuses. Coincidentally, I had seen a photograph of a bee fly just recently, although I wasn't sure that's what this was until I looked at on the computer (and used the iNaturalist Seek app on it) I only managed a few shots before it flew away, luckily this one was reasonably sharp. Too bad the twig was in there. After it left I moved the twig and waited to see if it or anything else would come back, but nothing did.
It's interesting that almost all the observations on iNaturalist are in April or early May. I wonder why it's not seen later in the summer? I only see one other observation in Saskatoon and another in Regina.
Like most life, it has an interesting story. It flicks its eggs into the burrows of bees and wasps, or failing that, deposits them on plants where bees and wasps visit. The larva then feed on the larva of the bee or wasp. The adult flies feed on both nectar and pollen, with the females eating more pollen. It locates flowers by color, preferring blue and violet (which fits with the Prairie Crocus. The bumblebee like appearance both discourages predators, and also lets it sneak up on the bees and wasps it parasitizes.
They apparently can feed while hovering, like a hummingbird, but this one had landed and was taking its time (a good thing for photographing it).
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