The BugLady has always enjoyed mullein plants (Verbascum thapsus). Oh, she knows that they’re sun-slurping aliens whose mission is to blanket the earth at the expense of native vegetation, but they produce cheery yellow flowers, and they stick out of grassy fields like skinny saguaro cacti.
The BugLady’s advice for the day is: Find yourselves a big clump of goldenrod and start looking. Bring your camera. Bring a lawn chair. What will you see?
When Syrphid flies fly, they give off a slight droning sound; when they perch, they hold their wings out a little from their sides like a V. They are small, measuring 3/8″ to 5/8″ long. Some syrphid flies are nearly bee-sized, but the mosquito-sized duo in below right are at the small end of the range. Males will hover for long periods in hopes of attracting a female.