A male Xylocopa virginica carpenter bee hovers in place to defend his territory. 

Urbana, Illinois, USA
A male Xylocopa virginica carpenter bee hovers in place to defend his territory. 

Urbana, Illinois, USA
A male Xylocopa virginica carpenter bee surveys his woodland territory.

Urbana, Illinois, USA
A vinegar fly (Drosophilidae) circles in to land on a shelf fungus. 

Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia
A vinegar fly (Drosophilidae) circles in to land on a shelf fungus. Note the iridescent patterning on the wing. These metallic colors were recently discovered to be species-specific and potentially involved in communication.

Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia
A trio of parasitic phorid flies (Pseudacteon lontrae) hover over an ant nest (Linepithema oblongum) looking for targets.

Termas de Reyes, Jujuy, Argentina
A male Xylocopa virginica carpenter bee hovers in place to defend his territory.

Urbana, Illinois, USA
A male Xylocopa virginica carpenter bee hovers in place to defend his territory. 

Urbana, Illinois, USA
A male Xylocopa virginica carpenter bee hovers in place to defend his territory.

Urbana, Illinois, USA
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013