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This beautiful Syrphid was photographed nectaring on Queen Anne's Lace in August, near Chicago IL USA. Thanks for any help. I have other views if you need more help...
--Bruce

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Bruce,

Have a look at the Villa bee flies on http://bugguide.n...65/bgimage and you'll see that this was no syrphid fly. :)

BTW: Villa are notoriously difficult to identify in the Palaearctic.

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Hmm.. well. So it's a bee fly, eh? I'll bee damned.
But.. it don't look like those Villa things, either.
I wonder what it could be?

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There is quite some variation in Villa species, but some Exoprosopa are similar. Compare pictures on:
http://tolweb.org...Brachycera (Villa)
http://strano16.i...epic32.htm (Villa, small picture)
http://www.museum...mbyliidae/ (both Villa and Exoprosopa)