Description

• Cardiacephala is a genus of bee flies in the family Bombyliidae. Species are generally small to medium-sized, robust flies with densely hairy bodies, long slender legs, and a prominent proboscis adapted for feeding at flowers. The wings are often clear or lightly marked, and species may have contrasting bands or patches of pale and dark hairs. Like other bee flies, they can resemble bees or other hymenopterans in appearance.

Range

• Species of Cardiacephala occur primarily in the Americas, with the genus particularly diverse in tropical and subtropical regions. Species occur in Mexico, Central America, and South America, and Cardiacephala bee flies can be encountered in the Zihua area.

Habitat

• Usually found in warm, sunny habitats with flowering vegetation, including tropical forest edges, woodland clearings, scrub, grassland, and disturbed areas. Adults are often seen visiting flowers or resting on leaves and other exposed surfaces.

Diet

• Adults feed mainly on nectar from flowers and may also consume pollen. Bee fly larvae generally develop as predators or parasitoids of other insects, particularly the immature stages of bees and wasps.