NFR Identify this insect.

[Cabezon]

While the literature is sparse, I believe that this insect has an aquatic larval phase. Originally, I thought that it might be a bumble bee but it is not.


Steve

 

[Zak]

Not sure, but searching for "aquatic bee" led me to learn something new about undersea pollinators:

Bees of the sea: Tiny crustaceans pollinate underwater plants

Seagrass pollen doesn’t just ride the tides - the grains of at least one species hitchhike on undersea invertebrates

www.newscientist.com

 

[Bruce Baker]

That is one cool photo.

Hopefully @Taxon will wander into this thread and tell us what it is.

 

[Tom Butler]

Almost looks like a hover fly to me, but I don't think they have an aquatic phase.

 

[Mark Melton]

Almost looks like a hover fly to me, but I don't think they have an aquatic phase.

I think Tom is right. Some hover flies (Eristalis and Somula) have an aquatic phase as eggs and larvae (known as rat-tailed maggots).

Google has quite a few photos under "aquatic hoverfly larvae"

Genus Somula

An online resource devoted to North American insects, spiders and their kin, offering identification, images, and information.

bugguide.net

Genus Eristalis - Drone Flies

An online resource devoted to North American insects, spiders and their kin, offering identification, images, and information.

bugguide.net

drone fly, rat-tailed maggot - Eristalis tenax (Linnaeus)

 

[Cabezon]

It is a spotted soldier fly, Stratiomys macula Loew. According to this guide to the group on the West Coast, the larvae in this genus are found in water with large amounts of organic debris (pg. 85).
Steve