Honey Bee with Parasitic Phorid Fly - Macro Insect Interaction #1693488 (License: Personal Use)

This high-resolution macro image shows a European honey bee (Apis mellifera) with a small phorid fly (likely Apocephalus borealis) attached near its thorax-abdomen junction-a known parasitic behavior where the fly lays eggs inside the bee. The bee’s translucent wings, fuzzy thorax, and striped abdomen are sharply detailed against a clean white background, highlighting both the beauty and vulnerability of pollinators.

Used in entomology, conservation, or agricultural education content to illustrate parasitism in pollinators; commonly appears in articles about colony collapse disorder, invasive species impacts, or bee health diagnostics.