Bombyliidae

The Bombyliidae are a family of flies, commonly known as bee flies. Some people call them bomber flies. These interesting insects look a bit like bees, which helps them stay safe from other animals that might want to hurt them.

Adult bee flies enjoy drinking nectar and eating pollen from flowers. This makes them important helpers for plants because they help plants make seeds and fruits by moving pollen from one flower to another. That’s why they are considered important pollinators.

The young bee flies, called larvae, grow by living on other insects. They are called parasitoids, which means they help control the numbers of other insect populations. This can be very useful in nature, keeping balances in the world of bugs.

Overview

Euchariomyia dives, a Bombyliidae in India: Note the bright bands of coloured hair, the long and thin legs and upright posture, the "delta wings", the proboscis, and the forward-pointing antennae.

The Bombyliidae are a large family of flies with hundreds of genera. They vary in size from very small to some of the largest flies, with wingspans up to 40 mm. Many bee flies hold their wings at a special "swept back" angle when they are resting. These flies eat nectar and pollen, and some help plants grow by moving pollen from one flower to another. They often look like bees, which helps protect them from animals that might want to eat them.

The young bee flies live by finding and eating the eggs or babies of other insects. Their mothers lay eggs close to where these other insects live, such as inside burrows made by beetles, wasps, or solitary bees. There are at least 4,500 known types of bee flies, with many more still waiting to be discovered. Even though they are important for nature, they are not often seen in cities or gardens.

Morphology

Exoprosopa caliptera in Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, US - note the silvery mirror stripes formed by patches of specialized hairs modified into reflecting scales

Bee flies, also called bombyliids, have bodies that range from very small (about 1 millimeter) to quite large (up to 2.5 centimeters). They are usually covered in thick hair and come in colors like brown, black, grey, white, or yellow. Many look like bees or wasps, which helps protect them from predators.

Their heads are round, and their mouths are made for sipping nectar from flowers. Their legs are long and thin, and their wings are clear or colored with patterns. The wings help the females fly better and stay in the air longer. The body shape varies, but it is often short and wide.

Biology

Xenox tigrinus mating

Adults of these flies enjoy sunny and dry places, often with sand or rocks. They have strong wings and can often be seen flying near flowers or resting on the ground in sunlight. These flies play an important role in helping plants reproduce by moving pollen from one flower to another. Unlike many other flies that eat only nectar, bee flies also eat pollen, which gives them important proteins.

Bee flies move quickly and can change direction easily while flying. They often hover in one spot, especially when looking for food. Some have long mouthparts that they use while hovering to reach deep into flowers. This makes them look different from similar flies called hoverflies. Learning to tell them apart can be tricky, but watching their behavior helps — bee flies often rest on the ground, while hoverflies usually do not.

Zoogeography

Bee flies, known as Bombyliidae, are found all over the world in places like the Palearctic realm, Nearctic realm, Afrotropical realm, Neotropical realm, Australasian realm, Oceanian realm, and Indomalayan realm. However, there are more kinds of these flies in warm, dry areas near the equator, where they can be seen most often.

Species lists

A 4 mm long female of Lepidanthrax in Cuyama Valley, California, showing the proportionally shorter wings and relatively larger head occurring in many of the smaller species in the family

Bee flies, also known as Bombyliidae, are a family of interesting insects. You can find lists of these flies from different parts of the world, such as West Palaearctic including Russia, Australasian/Oceanian, Nearctic, Japan, and a World list. These flies are important because many of them help plants grow by moving pollen from one flower to another.

Systematics

Poecilanthrax apache in Sheldon National Antelope Refuge, Nevada, US

The family of bee flies, known as Bombyliidae, has uncertain classifications. Scientists have debated how to group these flies for many years. Some place them in one group, while others put them in another, depending on their research.

There are about 4700 known species of bee flies, spread across 270 different groups. These groups are organized in various ways by scientists, but a common way includes several main branches such as Anthracinae, Antoniinae, Bombyliinae, and many more smaller groups within them.

Genera

Poecilanthrax eremicus nectaring on California Buckwheat near the visitor center of Devil's Punchbowl, Pearblossom, California

Bee flies, also known as Bombyliidae, are a family of fascinating insects. Many of these flies are called bee flies or bomber flies. The adults of these species feed on nectar and pollen, and some play an important role in pollinating plants.