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Location: Near Stockholm, Sweden
Date: 2007-JUN-24
Habitat: Sunbathing on the ground in a park.

Have only seen Bombyliidae a couple of times before. Today I saw two different species. Maybe this is Hemipenthes morio!? I don't know how Jorge manages to get so close to these Bombyliidae. I had troubles even get a single shot, but got a couple from distance thanks to my 150 mm macro lens.

Edit: Changed subject (Swedish Bombyliidae 1)

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correct

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Crex

H morio are quite common in central France in the area where we have a house, so I see them fairly frequently. I notice a behaviour change between the ones I see in May and those in June. In May they are frenetically active, flying rapidly to and fro as though searching (perhaps for bee holes?). They settle infrequently and very briefly - a second or two at most - and are more or less impossible to photograph. In June they are much more likely to sunbath on the ground for some minutes, and will sometimes let you get as close as 20cm with the camera. Mind you - even with a thoroughly obliging specimen on Saturday, I still managed only a very mediocre photograph :@ - nowhere near as good as yours, so I will not bother to post it.

The June ones seem slightly smaller too, but that may be an illusion caused by the very different views of them. I noticed this change in behaviour this year and last - it would be interesting to know if it is just coincidence, or if not, what influences it (weather? life cycle activities such as egg laying or mating?)