April Wildlife Video Quiz

These little insects appear in March and by April are common all over the Touraine in sunny gardens and flowery wild places. You can easily observe them at flowers and if you are lucky you will observe them engaged in the very interesting behaviour you see in the video.

Points will be awarded as follows:

• 2 points for its English name.
• 3 points for its scientific name.
• 1 bonus point each for the nerdy ones amongst you who want to give me scientific Family and Order.
• 2 bonus points if you can give me its French name (as far as I know it doesn't really have one).
• 5 points if you can correctly describe what it is doing and the purpose of it.
• 3 bonus points if you can tell me what it will do next.

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Nature News: I heard my first cuckoo yesterday. We haven't had the pleasure of the swallows arriving in Preuilly yet, although we saw them a week ago in Le Louroux and Montrésor.

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Quiz Results: A total of 2 points to Antoinette for identifying it as a Bombylius sp bee fly. A total of 6 points to chm for giving me the full scientific (B. major) and la Grande bombyle (which now that he mentions it, I have heard before). I've awarded him an extra point for all the extra Bombylius spp French names he has supplied. A total of 7 points to Anton as he also supplied an English name (although I prefer Dark-edged Bee Fly) as well as family and order.

All of you guessed that it was egg laying, but this is in fact the answer to the question of what it will do next. What it is doing in the video is loading up its rear end with sand, which stick to the eggs when they are laid. This disguises and protects the eggs.