ONH

Bee Flies

Bombyliidae

  • 2013-07-22
  • 5824
  • 5878
  • 6249
  • 8199
  • 8916
  • 9904
  • 1590601
  • 1590641
  • 5992
  • 5992fig
  • 2013-07-22
    1 - Bee Fly, family Bombyliidae, hovering while feeding (still from a video).

    07/22/2013 Hurricane Hill Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 5824
    2 - Bee Fly, hovering above a hole in dry soil.

    07/12/2007 Heart O' the Hills Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 5878
    3 - Bee Fly, same individual as in slide 2.

    07/12/2007 Heart O' the Hills Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 6249
    4 - Bee flies mating.

    07/19/2008 Blue Mountain/Deer Park, Olympic National Park

  • 8199
    5 - Bee fly.

    07/13/2004 Hurricane Hill Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 8916
    6 - Bee fly.

    07/28/2006 Hurricane Hill Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 9904
    7 - Bee Fly, on cultivated potentilla. Possibly Villa fulviana, Tawny-tailed Bee Fly.

    08/17/2006 Heart O' the Hills Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 1590601
    8 - Bee fly.

    07/18/2017 Sunrise Ridge Trail, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 1590641
    9 - Bee fly on Lomatium.

    07/18/2017 Sunrise Ridge Trail, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 5992
    10 - Bee Fly, on oxeye daisy.

    07/14/2007 Heart O' the Hills Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 5992fig
    11 - Bee Fly, on oxeye daisy, with characteristic wing vein patterns noted.

    07/14/2007 Heart O' the Hills Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

Bee flies, in the family Bombyliidae, are so named because some species resemble bees, though others have mottled wing and abdomen patterns, possibly acting as camoflauge. Some of the 750 species in the family Bombyliidae are common.

Bee flies fly rapidly from flower to flower, sometimes hovering steadily just above a flower. Some bee flies have a very long proboscis for probing flowers.

Bee flies parasitize a number of other insect orders, sometimes hovering above a hole or crevice and dropping an egg near the hole while in flight. The egg hatches and the larva enters the hole.

Identifying a bee fly requires closely observing several features, including the wing with its distinctive vein pattern (slide 11).

See Greater Bee Fly in menu.