Have you heard of good news bees? In American folklore, they are said to bring us good news. The problem is, they’re not actually bees. Instead, they are charismatic hoverflies.

inside: The good news bee is actually a flamboyant pollinating hover fly that mimics the Queen of the Southern Yellowjacket.

Common names for insects are disappearing

I love folk names for insects, but the Entomological Society of America (ESA), which is trying to eradicate insects, is very frustrating.

Common names are passed down from generation to generation as a kind of folklore. Yes, these names are often imprecise, but they add depth and richness to our heritage that no “approved” common name can replace. Colloquial names, once gone, are gone forever.

The Good News Bees

The name “Good Newsbee”, or simply “Newsbee”, comes from the behavior of this daring hoverfly. already has an official scientific name, Millesia virginiensis, and is now officially known as the Virginia Giant Hover Fly. But how memorable are these names compared to “good-news bee”? Well, not so much. Like white noise, their names fade into the background.

Being hover flies, these insects can hover in the air like a helicopter. This fairly large species (16-24 mm long) has the habit of flying very close to humans, hovering face-to-face, and appearing to make eye contact. The flies make a loud humming noise and call like a very large bee. The experience when confronted is somewhere between spooky and scary, and most of all, unforgettable.

So what’s the news?

According to legend in the American Southeast, the sight of one of these creatures staring at you means that good news is coming your way. Rumor has it that he’s staring at you with something to say. Hence the name.

But the best news is that hover flies are excellent pollinators that don’t sting or bite. The hovering/gazing behavior appears to be a defensive mechanism, startling predators into reconsidering aggression. It certainly works for humans who occasionally scream or run for cover.

Happily, bees have other common names. Because it is the killer of some yellow hoverflies, it is sometimes called the yellowjacket hoverfly or the black and yellow hoverfly. Others call them Virginia Flower Fries.

Widespread but not common

Along the east coast, these hoverflies range from southern Canada to southern Florida, and inland as far west as New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Despite their wide range, they are rare and dispersed.

Happily, the bees are at the top of the hill. Hilltop is a behavior that helps males find a mate. Due to the widely dispersed population, the males go to nearby hilltops to wait for the females to join them. For beekeepers, this is like a gathering place for drones, where they wait for the virgin queen.

If you’re looking for these flies, remember that the top of the hill doesn’t have to be that tall, just higher than the surrounding area. Climbing only occurs early in the day.

Do not miss it: What is the spring red pollen on a bee’s leg?

Foraging and nesting habits of honeybees

Bees are active from April to October, depending on local conditions. They especially prefer sunny locations along the edges of deciduous forests while foraging. If they are nearby, they are loud and noisy, so they can often be heard from afar.

It collects both nectar and pollen from large flowers such as hydrangea, dogwood, ilex, rose, goldenrod, elderberry, and burbascum. But this is just a sample. They enjoy many kinds of flowers.

Females prefer to nest in the rotting heartwood of deciduous trees, so adults are often found at forest edges.

it was a really good day

If you are lucky enough to be stalked by a bee, be careful. It may be your lucky day. Even if nothing else happens, you’ll know exactly who’s eyeing you.

Rusty
honeybee suite

about me

My love of bee science is underpinned by a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Crops and a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies. I have written extensively about bees. american b journal and past columns 2 million flowers and bee craft. In recent years, I have taken multiple courses in Meritology and have extensively identified North American honeybees. i Naturalist. My Beekeeping Master Certificate issued by the University of Montana. Click here for details.