We have several types of bee flies here in Florida and many of them don’t have common names. They come in a variety of sizes and colors and some of them are kind of cute. This particular bee fly is simply known as Poecilanthrax lucifer, and like all bee flies, they are great to have around because they are great for your garden. It’s easy to see that the adults are good pollinators, but it actually goes further than that. Their larvae, which are small, wormlike creatures that live in the soil, eat the eggs and larvae of many garden pests. They are found in the southeastern United States and quite a few of the Caribbean islands. The adults are indiscriminate pollinators so they will pollinate many different types of flowers including wildflowers, ornamentals, and crops. I love having them around on the property, not only because they are so good for the plants, but also because they are very docile and only bite if injured or harassed. It seems that they just might be about the perfect insect to have around.