A syrphid fly does its best wasp impression.
This fly does a pretty good wasp impression, but it’s fooling everyday of the year (well, every day it’s alive anyway). Perfectly harmless, it uses this likeness (Batesian mimicry) to make would-be predators think otherwise. People aren’t exactly predators of wasps or flies, but on the whole we’re easily fooled by such a “costume”; unfortunately, I think our ignorance is as likely to cause carnage as avoidance. (People like to terminate what they fear.)
This one didn’t mind my camera snooping around up close and tight, hardly moving, that is until it did; it flew off and was gone, just like that. I was a bit too comfortable, I think, taking liberties before i got all my shots in.
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That’s an interesting looking hover-fly that really does look like a small solitary bee or wasp.
And not one I commonly see. Fairly good-sized too if my memory serves, though I wouldn’t wager a guess in millimeters.