The Pretty Fly

Drone fly, that is:

Lots of very unflattering text on this creature, the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects & Spiders states it begins life in the larvae stage as the "rat-tailed maggot" and excelling in "foul-smelling stagnant water" such as open latrines. It becomes a lot less repulsive as it grows into an adult that looks more like a honey bee than a fly and pretty much blends into the scenery, causing no particular harm.

After taking what I thought was my best picture of a trip to Meadowlark Gardens yesterday, I got very defensive when I started reading the nasty things associated with the bug. I figure, if you get an intestinal problem due to fly larvae, you are probably doing something wrong and shouldn't necessarily hold it against the creature. I mean, look at those wings! How bad can this little guy be?