-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Flies Order (Diptera)

-Brachyceran Flies (Suborder Brachycera)​

-Orthorrhaphan Flies (Infraorder Orthorrhapha)

-Superfamily Asiloidea

-Bee Flies (Family Bombyliidae)​

-Subfamily Bombyliinae​​​

-Tribe Bombyliini

-Greater Bee Flies (Genus Bombylius)

Bee flies of the genus Bombylius are distinctive, fuzzy-bodied flies in the family Bombyliidae that closely resemble small bees, a form of protective mimicry that helps deter predators. Their bodies are densely covered in soft hairs, typically in shades of brown, tan, black, or golden, and they possess long, slender legs and a characteristically elongated, rigid proboscis. This feeding tube allows them to hover in front of flowers while sipping nectar without landing, much like a tiny hummingbird. Bombylius species are strong fliers and are especially known for their hovering behaviour, darting quickly from flower to flower. While adults are important pollinators, their larvae have a very different lifestyle: they are parasitoids, most often targeting solitary bees and wasps.