Bee Fly - Bombylius major

This is a garden first, the Bee Fly - Bombylius major, the extended proboscis makes them unique amongst British insects and consequently easy to identify. They are apparently quite common but it is a first for me and I am pleased to add it to my garden insect gallery. They use the long proboscis for feeding deep in to flowers to sip nectar. The more you look in the garden, the more interesting it becomes. If you want interesting insects in your garden then don't use insecticide.  They are parasitic and lay their eggs in the nests of solitary bees which explains completely why I saw it around the "mines" of the solitary bees on the edge of the lawn.