Native to North America, this fly species was first documented by science in 1776. It was formally described by Charles De Geer, under the original name Nemotelus tigrinus. Although we may not often consider it, much of what we can still encounter today was also part of colonial America 250 years ago, back when the country's founding fathers were working on the Declaration of Independence. To learn more about these flies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_bee_fly

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July 19, 1776

Congress ordered the Declaration of Independence to be engrossed on parchment. It was a quiet but decisive step. This was the moment when the Declaration moved from temporary printings to the enduring national record meant to carry its ideals forward through generations.