I found this bee in my garden in central west Mexico and am looking for an ID. It is bumble bee size, but don't know if it is a bumble bee. Would love to know. Anyone?

It's a fly. Let me see if I can find which one.

A fly? Is that because it does not have antennae? It is a very large fly.

Okay, so, I found your fly. It has no ID, tho. The site just calls it Beefly. It was also seen in Colima.

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/ca...

Ided in 2013. I noticed when I went back it's the same picture.

How very strange. Evidently i wrote to the whatsthatbug.com site about this insect in 2013 but don't remember returning to the site to discover if there was any response. I don't remember writing to them at all or sending the photo off, but that is surely something i wrote and it is surely the same photo and it is surely my name...how funny. The Bee Fly is in the Family Bombyliidae. I reviewed some images and saw some similar (but not the same). Very likely it was seen in Colima by me

In 2013 i was at DG...and i would have asked Flapdoodle there because he knows everything about insects...really.

Anyway, i consider your information as an ID, but i think i'll leave the thread open a while longer in case someone else has additional specifics. Thanks Zencat.

I looks like a Narcissus bulb fly to me;
Merodon equestris..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Oh I noticed now you live in Mexico, so probably not Merodon equestris, I think related. But it is a hoverfly (Syrphidae family)
I think our insect expert JRsbugs (Janet) will get you a correct answer!
http://cubits.org/buglife/foru...

Diptera can be extremely difficult!

From the wing venation, it is in Bombyliidae.

A very useful site called DrawWing shows one with wing venation which is a close match, Bryodemina valida ...

http://www.drawwing.org/insect...

I found only one photo of that species, it's not a match but there is a list which might be helpful of "Bombyliid genera known from Central America". Assuming it is a known species. The species shown is from Mexico, having checked other genera wing venation on DrawWing I think it is a Bryodemina specie.

http://www.phorid.net/diptera/...

Some links, one with a key if you can translate ..

http://www.scielo.org.mx/sciel...

Bryodemina fasciata is the only other Bryodemina specie given for Mexico but I can't find any photos, however given the wing venation I would 'suggest' that species is highly possible. Location is correct!

Bryodemina fasciata

Anisotamia fasciata Williston, 1901: 284. TYPE LOCALITY: Mexico (Jalisco) [H in
BMNH*].
DISTRIBUTION: Nearctic: Mexico (Colima, Jalisco).

http://www.bio-nica.info/bibli...

The above link is from the World Catalogue of Bombyliidae, you will find the species on page 251.

Thank you @JRsbugs and also @bonitin and @Zencat for your input. Well, we have a Family: Bombyliidae, and a Genus: Bryodemina, and a likely species fasciata. I think that is pretty good for the neotropics. Often with insects and plants, a person can get just so far (Family, Genus) with a likely group of species. Maybe my photo is the only one of a "fasciata" but i think at this point we will not be able to know that. Good work, much appreciated

Glad we could all help. Nice to know we have people who can help us ID our critters, too. to all of you!

The site which shows Bryodemina valida belongs to Brian Brown, an American expert on Phoridae. He is a member of diptera.info, if you want to find out for sure you can join the site and he or another diptera expert might be able to confirm it for sure. The wing venation certainly matches the Genus. The diptera forum is run by Paul Beuk who is a diptera expert in Europe, but there's experts in most families who watch the forum, including two more that I know of in the US who are experts on craneflies. If he doesn't see your post, you can find him on the site and send him a PM. If you post on the site, use a heading which will attract attention, e.g. Bombyliidae Bryodemina sp.?

http://www.diptera.info/news.p...

http://phorid.net/pubs/

You can contact bbrown by clicking on his user name once you are signed up.

http://www.diptera.info/forum/...

Thank you Janet! So we are not at the dead end i thought we were, and i will pursue it as you suggest. Really, where else would i find this information except from you? Exactly no where. You'll be the first to know what i discover, if anything

Janet, i am now a member of diptera.info and have posted the bee fly in the way you suggested, adding coordinates and photo. 50 hits came in rapid fire but no responses yet. At least the photo is being seen by people in the know and the members really don't have to know that i don't know anything about Diptera. I'll keep you posted. It seems to be a good sign that it is generating interest.

Great! I might post on your thread to give the appropriate links, it's a while since I posted on diptera.info. I'm blowave there.

To make it easy, here's a link ..

http://www.diptera.info/forum/...

I've already read your diptera post (i receive an email any time a new response is posted) and responded with a "thank you"...that should add more credibility to what i already posted and move us further along on the way to catching someone's attention and perhaps even verification of the species. Maybe my photo is the only one in existence and it would be great if i could contribute that.

If nobody responds after a few days, then either you, or I should contact Brian Brown. He hasn't posted since September last year but he's only an occasional visitor. Even then it might be some time before he responds.

It would be great to get a confirmation and contribute it to the gallery. I have a rare fly or two I need to put on there too.