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Flies of Zihuatanejo

ORDER DIPTERA

-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.

Bombylius Bee Fly

Bombylius (Genus)

Description

  • Bombylius is a genus of bee flies in the family Bombyliidae. Species are generally small to medium-sized, often densely covered with fine hairs and resembling bees or bumble bees. They typically have a stout, rounded body, long slender legs, large eyes, and a long projecting proboscis used to obtain nectar. Many species have patterned or partially transparent wings and may hover rapidly while feeding at flowers.

Range

  • Species of Bombylius occur widely across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia, with the greatest diversity in temperate and warm regions. Several species occur in Mexico and throughout Central America, and Bombylius bee flies can be encountered in the Zihua area.

Habitat

  • Usually found in sunny, open or semi-open habitats with abundant flowering plants, including forest edges, clearings, grasslands, scrub, gardens, and disturbed areas. Adults frequently hover around flowers or rest on vegetation and exposed surfaces.

Diet

  • Adults feed primarily on nectar and pollen from flowers, using their long proboscis to reach floral resources while hovering or landing. The larvae are parasitoids or predators of the immature stages of other insects, particularly solitary bees and wasps, with the exact host varying among species.

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