Is it a bee? Is it a fly? It’s a Greater Bee Fly (Bombylius major). What?
This bee fly has to be one of the strangest insects that I have ever seen—it looks like Doctor Frankenstein pieced together an insect from the parts of other insects. Its fuzzy body looks like that of a bee and it has a similar proboscis, though the bee fly’s proboscis seems to be outrageously long. Its long, spindly legs, however, are not bee-like and remind me of certain types of flies. The patterned wings and the way that it hovers are reminiscent of a hummingbird moth, though the bee fly is considerably smaller.
The bee fly is considered to be a bee mimic. Like a bee, it helps pollinate plants when gathering nectar.
I encountered this strange insect when I was examining the little flowers of some allium plants in the garden of my neighbor and fellow photographer and blogger Cindy Dyer. She always has interesting flowers to photograph and I have found an amazing assortment of insects in the garden too.
Greater Bee Fly on allium plant
Head-on look at a bee fly
Bee Fly on allium with trellis in background
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Wow, I have never seen one or even knew they existed
The more I look closely at plants, insects, and birds, the more cool things I discover. It’s pretty exciting to wonder what I’ll encounter next.
That is a strange one.
I seem to see more than my fair share of oddities. I wonder if I somehow attract them (or am merely attuned to them).
Excellent shots, looks a bit like a clear-wing moth..:-)
That;s what came to mind for me too, Ed, though these ones are much smaller than the clear-wings.